Descend Into Darkness
by Ankaris123
Summary: AU. A human tainted with vampire blood, Tsunayoshi Sawada is next successor of the Vongola Clan. Vulnerable after performing a selfless act, he suddenly finds himself at the mercy of the heartless Kyouya Hibari. Main CP: 1827, ON INDEFINITE HIATUS.
1. Feeding

Title: Descend into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: January 12, 2008

End Date: January 12, 2008

Summary: _**Alternate Universe**_. A human with the blood of a vampire, Tsunayoshi Sawada is the last successor for the Head of the Vongola Clan. Still grasping desperately onto the light of his endangered humanity, how could he willingly choose to defect to the darkness?

_**WARNINGS**_: _WILL_, I repeat, _**WILL**_ contain _**shounen-ai**_ (_mostly_ implied) in the future. _**OOCness**_ may and probably will occur. _**Concept of Vampires**_ is completely derived from the authoress' overactive brain and the limited knowledge she already knows. _Discretion is advised_. And…8027? Lol.

Much Love to Meru, much 'I hate youuuuu's to Yam, both for beta'ing this piece of junk. P.S. All mistakes left over will be directed to Yam please as she did the second screening.

**Minor Revisions: March 16, 2008**

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Prologue – Feeding

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Normal, everyday people swarmed in droves across the cracked sidewalks that steamed with the summer's heat. The incoherent cloud of noise wafted around them, typical of a Friday afternoon. No one could've possibly heard the laboured breathing that came from the barely noticeable narrow alleyway.

No one except Tsunayoshi Sawada.

With below average height and beyond below average grades at the healthy age of 14, Tsunayoshi, more commonly known as Tsuna or No Good Tsuna, was fighting the dense crowd while concentrating on blocking out the noise that nobody else could hear. Normal people generally couldn't, not with the distance involved and the general clamour they themselves were already causing.

But Tsuna was not what you would consider a normal boy in truth. Tainted with the blood of a vampire ancestor (a rare phenomenon), the extraordinary abilities of the dwellers of the dark lay dormant within him, choosing whenever it pleased to surface.

The heavy breaths sounded clearly next to his ear, louder and louder as he approached the source step by step. He gripped his standard issued school bag at his side tightly with both hands, walking with quick longer strides as to pass the alleyway opening (in which he could sense the origin of the breathing) as soon as possible.

In and Out.

In and Out.

A shudder.

More broken breathing.

His vision sharpened suddenly, causing him to wince from the intensified glaring of daylight. Instinctively, his body (or more accurately, the blood coursing through his veins made it so that his body) sought out the shadows of the alleyway to escape the sun.

Several steps in, his brown eyes adjusted instantaneously to the dimness with everything flooding into view like night vision; the sound of breathing, now consisted of sharp gasps, grew to a deafening level, easily over powering the reverberating echoes that his sneakers made when he stumbled in.

With little choice and a peaked, but cautious curiosity, Tsuna decided, grudgingly, to investigate.

He crept along quietly, deeper into the alley, afraid that any sudden movements or noises would provoke an attack. It was impossible to make out the end of the alley, if there was an end that is. A dull thumping sound joined in with the breathing, much like a heartbeat, but lengthened to a pace slower than any he'd ever heard in a living creature.

As abruptly as this occurred, it ended. The sounds of uneasy inhaling, the thump-thud of the sluggish heartbeat and the clarity of his sight all vanished, replacing it with the footsteps and distant mingled voices of the crowd behind him and the darkness of the alley in front. There was a flash of two white spots the size and correct position for a set of eyes.

He shivered.

Unable to see, his shoe found an uneven crack in the pavement and he pitched forward with a flailing of limbs.

"Wha-"he started to say.

The rest of the sentence was lost as he landed in the lap of a stranger.

"Ow…" Tsuna whimpered; his knees ached with bruises.

Gingerly, he looked up to see who it was he landed on. It was a young male, teenaged, with black hair that stuck up in short, jagged spikes dressed blandly in a dark t-shirt (the colour was hard to decipher in the shadowy recess they were in), white shirt (unbuttoned) and plain black slacks; he also adorned black wristbands. His features showed that he was very much a Japanese person but currently his face was contorted as though he was in pain.

Hastily, Tsuna scrambled to his knees (ignoring the dull pain in them) and addressed the person with a stuttering voice.

"A-are you okay?" The teen replied with a groan, clutching at his abdomen area with a hand.

Not the type to meddle in someone else's affairs, Tsuna was surprised to find himself examining the pained stranger in front of him with concern.

There were no signs of blood so he was obviously not injured. What could possibly be causing this guy to breathe so irregularly? An illness? Internal injury? Food stuck in his throat?

The teen clenched his teeth and opened his eyes briefly to look upon Tsuna. They glowed ominously in the dark in a shade of brown so light it was almost yellow. At that moment, Tsuna knew exactly what the affliction was.

He scrambled backwards and collided with the damp wall opposite, pressing his back against it to distance himself fully.

The oval, slit-like pupils.

The red tinge to the corner of his eyes.

The sharper than average canines.

He was a vampire.

It was at this sort of time that Tsuna would (and should) freak out and bail, run home to hide under his bed and pretend it never happened, if he was who he used be a year ago.

In the last year he had had nearly all the details about vampire characteristics crammed into his brain enough times that even he, who failed all his tests and quizzes on a regular basis (for this was not common knowledge), could tell that he had a vampire (or half-vampire) suffering from a case of escalating bloodlust in front of him.

And unfortunately for him, he also knew the one cure.

Hesitantly, he approached the sitting figure again, touching his shoulder to make him aware of his presence. The shoulder was cool, emitting far less body heat than a regular human. The vampire flinched at the contact and stared at him with unfocused eyes.

Tsuna swallowed hard bracing himself for the confrontation.

"You're a vampire, aren't you?" he stated; voice barely more than a whisper. But it was enough.

The vampire gave him an indecipherable look and coughed his way through a chuckle.

"What," he coughed, "are you," he coughed again, "talking about?"

"But-"

"There's no way I could," he coughed into his weak hand, "be a vampire. It's just a game. You're in on it with those other guys too, aren't you?" He laughed again, breaking off into a hacking fit. The perspiration on his face gave away his still evident pain.

"Stop denying it! If you don't do anything about your bloodlust soon-" Tsuna broke off in confusion. How could this guy possibly not be aware of what he had become? There was no way someone like this could exist.

Caught up in his train of thoughts, he only just noticed that the vampire had slumped to the ground, lying on his side curled up, both arms crossed over his stomach.

"H-hey! Are you okay?" He wasn't responding; his face was pinched in a grimace. Despite his discomfort he had the gumption to say,

"Must be…something…I ate…haha…" He looked close to passing out. The short sleeves of his white over-shirt were tearing where his hands were clutching them.

"H-hey! Pull yourself together! Uh…" Tsuna was running out of options to choose.

If he left him alone, the vampire might attack someone in his blind, hunger-induced rage and kill them in the process. If that happened and humans didn't catch him afterwards, the vampire head of his clan would kill him for being irresponsible by ignoring his apparent needs.

With gritted teeth and resolve, Tsuna thrust out an arm; his wrist turned towards the vampire's face. The teenaged vampire gave him a hazy ludicrous look and attempted feebly to push his offered wrist away with a weak hand. He fell short a few inches, relapsing in a coughing, wheezing fit. The red tinge in his eyes was more prominent than ever.

"Come on! Don't be stubborn! You have to drink!" Tsuna berated the reluctance that the vampire was showing, his voice gradually escalating to a louder, higher pitch of panic. The fear of what could happen if he gave his blood (and if he didn't) caught up with him, materializing as pinpricks of tears that stung at the corner of his eyes and blinded him.

He sniffed, rubbing his face dry with a quick, rough swipe of his arm. The arm was still held out for the vampire prone on the dank concrete ground to take. The expression on the vampire was of a soft look of surprise.

"You have to drink…" Tsuna repeated, brushing his short chocolate brown hair out of his eyes as to camouflage the wiping of his tears. "Go on…I'm a willing d-donor, right? It's not like you're doing it without my permission, so it's okay…"

The vampire was silent, staring at him with a strange, undecipherable look.

"What's your name?" Tsuna asked, trying to speak with a gentle coaxing tone. They sat there like they were, for an unbearable minute before the questioned answered.

"…Takeshi Yamamoto."

"Then, Yamamoto, please drink." Tsuna's fear ebbed away a fraction, the tiny spark of relief that this 'Yamamoto' was finally listening to something. "Just a little is okay. It'll make the pain go away. I promise."

He gestured with his wrist again, out of words he could say to persuade him, but it looked like he was going to give in. Tsuna was generally a good judge of character.

Yamamoto sat up with difficulty, scraping his hands on the wall and took hold of Tsuna's wrist. The strong grip hurt only a little and Tsuna clenched his eyes shut so he would not have to see it happen.

There was a shuffle of clothing and he was yanked forward by the rough hand. In his surprise, he pitched forward; there was a breath of warm air on the skin of his bare neck.

"W-wha, wait!"

The warm moist mouth touched his neck and there was a flash of pain as the sensitive skin was pierced. Tsuna cried out and bit down on the flesh of his bottom lip as the pain subsided slowly to a dull throbbing. The vampire drank from him steadily; with each swallow he could feel himself grow weaker.

The hand that he had initially offered was still held onto tightly. Tsuna's breathing pattern started to pick up as the time dragged on. His vision blurred and became peppered with black spots.

_At this rate…if he doesn't stop…_

"Ahh…s-stop…you can't…nn…" Even as he said this, his strength was failing him as he slumped against the stranger attached to his neck. He grew limp and his breath came out in ragged gasps.

There was a drained, weighty feeling in his eyelids that was forcing them to close. He fought to stay conscious, believing he still had a chance to thwart the vampire's feeding from lasting any longer.

_…Losing…too much…blood…_

He managed to feebly grasp the fabric of the other's shirt before shutting his eyes against the vampire's shoulder. His last attempt came out as a choked sound stuck in his throat as the world before him swirled into black abyss.

And he knew no more.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/N_: …HAHAHA. It seriously seems like Yamamoto is ravaging/raping Tsuna. Anyways, my _first_ KHR fic and also _first_ vampire!fic so please treat it kindly. XD. I do not have the experience yet(?) and the concept of vampirism in this story is really odd (to me) but if you've heard or read of something similar, I'd be interested to know (because I made it all up in the span of 1 minute). It's also rather pointless…yeah; I just wanted some vampire action (XD?).

Beta's Note (Because she wanted to read it): RUSHED. Interesting.

**Thank you for reading! Are you interested? Do you want to read more? Please review if you have comments, critique, feedback, complaints or anything else!**


	2. Beginning

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: January 13, 2008

End Date: February 24, 2008

**WARNINGS**: _**Shounen-ai in upcoming chapters**_. _OOCness_ mainly from Tsuna. D: Angry Gokkun. Abused inanimate objects.

_A/Ns_: Thank you, THANK YOU so much for the reviews, alerts and favourites. ;3;. I'm so happy so many people took the time to tell me what they thought about the measly little prologue I had whipped up so long ago, so I wrote this chapter as diligently as I could this weekend. I hope it is to your liking.

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_Y.Mitsuki_: XD. Is this long enough? It was an insanely short prologue though I had to admit.

_Masaharu_: That line was probably intentional. Taking in account that I wrote the prologue more than a month ago, I only proofread it very briefly, changing a couple parts at the end. My writing style is extremely erratic so what I choose to keep and what I write out really depends on when I'm writing it. Sorry if it was distracting.

_Lady Serena Sparrow_: Thank you. There will more, ahem, 8027 moments but not until later.

_Akuno __Hikari_: I'm glad you like it but it's not going to be 8027 unfortunately. There will be more interaction but otherwise it's going to be strictly 1827 though I suppose the prologue is sort of misleading in that way, eh? Hope that doesn't spoil your appetite for this story though.

_T-gal_: No, it's 1827 (HibaTsuna) but there's some more 8027 interaction though.

_bloodylake_: Yup. There will definitely be more 8027.

_Whispering-KAZE_: That's right. This site does lack 8027 fics…maybe I'll write a one-shot or something to remedy that. 8). Tsuna is only distantly an heir so he has more human blood in him as well he certainly doesn't believe himself to be associated to the Vongola or vampires in anyway so it wouldn't matter that much to him.

_random alternative Life_: Yamamoto being…Yamamoto is denying the fact that he's turned (the reason will be explained later in the story) so he's been ignoring his bloodlust which at its extreme will activate self-preservation instincts and cause him to attack just about anybody for blood. I hope that clears up that bit for you. Did it sound like it was Hibari? Terribly sorry, I'll look into that.

_Quicksilver4_: XD. Everyone thinks this is 8027…but I don't blame them (or you) seeing as how unbelievably 8027 the prologue is… The story is going to be strictly vampirism, no mafia. The rest of your questions, well, they will be answered in due time. ;). And Reborn has arrived! In this chapter.

Many thanks also to Anave Lipid, skitty-nya, manga4life, Craze Izumi, Cheeseycraziness and ed.

**(The story will now commence! Enjoy!)**

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Chapter One - Beginning

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The intricately carved oak door opened with a violent motion and smashed into the cream yellow wall with a crash, bringing the attention of the office's occupant up from his mounds of paperwork. A scruffy teenager stumbled in, trying to make the rips in his short white sleeves as inconspicuous as possible.

"I thought I said not to disturb my work, idiot! Can't you listen to orders?!" the equally young figure at the mahogany desk hissed, jabbing one of the documents viciously with his expensive fountain pen. It resulted in a blotch of black-indigo ink on the dotted line under the elegant cursive signature.

He ran a hand baring several metallic rings through his near silver-gray hair that hung about his seemingly perpetually angry face.

"Yeah, I heard what you said, but Gokudera, there's-"

"Don't address me so casually!" Hayato Gokudera ordered through gritted teeth, slamming his hands onto his desk. The stacks of paper wavered from the tremor. His forehead was pulsing with evident irritation. "Since I'm your _supervisor_ I'm still technically your superior so I will not have this!"

The intense glare he was giving to the other male could possibly set him on fire. His day has just gone from fine to bad then finally to worse.

First he was assigned a whole stack of papers that were to be sent back to Italy (and it wasn't even his department), okay, that was fine. Then he had the delight to find out that he got some fresh half vampire assigned to him for reasons unexplained ("I don't know why. I'm just doing what the heads tell me," said the bulky grunt that lugged the new burden to his door early that morning.). Worst of all, the half was some sort of moronic idiot (there are far too little words that can describe him to the tee) who didn't believe he was turned and thought all this was some sort of game.

A _game_!

The nerve of this Takeshi Yamamoto!

He sighed with exasperation that was more befitting to an aged grandfather. With one hand, he kneaded his forehead to force himself into a semi-calm state of mind.

He should've never left Italy.

"Calm down, Gokudera. There's no need to get so uptight. I just thought you should know-"

"_Uptight_?!" The scruffy teen continued to walk in and approached the desk and the enraged person behind it without a care.

"Yeah, you kind of are right now, but what I'm trying to tell you-"

"I am _not_ uptight! What are you trying to start, bastard?!" A fist beat down on the poor innocent desk again. The stacks of paper shook perilously with it.

"I'm not trying to start anything. Can you chill and listen for a sec?"

"You-!" Gokudera paused and gave a tentative sniff, picking up the heavy scent that hung around the idiot in front of him like a thick fog.

If possible, his expression became even more enraged.

"You went out and drank blood?! You're still a half and a fresh one I might add! Did it pass through your mind how dangerous it could be if something went wrong?! You don't even know how to seal wounds yet! I tell you to stay in the area and you _had_ to go and attack some random human on the street?!"

In the span of Gokudera's furious scolding, the stack of paper decided it could no longer stand the injustice of the poor desk's treatment and fell over sideways in not-completely-silent protest.

Sputtering with fury, rage and who knows what else, Gokudera stood up from his seat and swept up most of the papers with a hand, dumping them unceremoniously in the box labelled 'In'. The rest had taken refuge in the tiny gap between the bottom of the desk and the marble flooring.

"Look," Gokudera hissed, jabbing Yamamoto hard in the shoulder, "I don't have the time to deal with you right now, just tell me in short simple words what the hell is your problem and then get the hell out of here, I'll figure out your problem later."

Yamamoto almost opened up his mouth to argue but decided to be mildly rational and told him in short simple words (as directed) what had happened in the alleyway. He scratched his head sheepishly afterwards, looking at his 'supervisor's' expression in hopes he understood.

The twitch in Gokudera's eyebrow was not a happy sign.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Voooooooi!! Why the hell are we doing this again?!" the displeased vampire known commonly as Squallo hollered through the sound of the wind rushing past his ears as he darted from rooftop to rooftop with inhuman speed.

"Levi disposed of our 'housewarming gift', remember? We can't possibly go through negotiations with that sort of man without it. What I don't see though," replied the little figure in the black cloak that seemed to be soaring through the air without support of any kind, "is why we don't just go and buy one off the back markets. It's far easier than looking for a replacement so aimlessly in town. Besides, no human would wander into this area at this hour unless they were touched in the head."

"Are you going to pay for it, Marmon?" the blond Belphegor quipped, catching up to the two in the front. The narrow arc of a metallic crown nestled in his hair glinted with a crisp sharpness in the fading sunlight.

Marmon sneered and carried on without another word.

The orange-blue sky behind them was dotted with black figures flitting through the air after them. They moved in uniform silence in such high velocities that the dwindling amount of passer-bys below did not have the time to notice them.

"Vooooi! This is going to take all sunset! I'm going to bash Levi's head in when we're back at headquarters!"

Belphegor's snickering was interrupted when a delicious scent made itself known to him. The fabled 'Prince the Ripper' of the Varia squadron was, as the rumours told, the most sensitive when it came to blood.

He broke out in a devilish grin and skid to a stop on the slanted tiled rooftop he had just touched down on.

The rest of them halted three rooftops away and reassembled on top of the surrounding buildings. Some even perched on top of lampposts. Squallo and Marmon dropped down on the faded red shingles at the side of the snickering Prince.

"Vooooi!! What's the big deal stopping all of a sudden like that?!" Squallo growled, flicking a long lock of hair over his shoulder. He let the unsheathed blade affixed to his left hand drag over the overlapping tiles. Marmon hovered at eye level and noticed the object of Belphegor's attention.

"Found it," the blond said with a singsong voice brimming with glee.

The Prince ceased his light sniggering and drew out a small curved knife from the folds of his jacket. He pointed it down at the bench under the leafy green tree in the street below, more specifically to the person laying on it.

With a fluid, practiced movement, he let it fly, slicing the air. In a fraction of a second, the tip of the blade embedded itself with only the slightest of sound a hair's breadth above the head of spiked brown hair.

The squad recognised this command and executed it in a single synchronized movement. Without emotion for their faces were hidden in shrouds of black shadows cast by their large hoods, they leaped from the buildings each as anonymous as the next.

And they struck like a cloud of locusts from the sky.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tsuna was dreaming. He was dreaming of a time not long ago. Not long ago being just before he dashed into the thick crowds in a mad escape the same sweltering afternoon of today.

School had ended for the trimester.

"_Ahh," Tsuna sighed, stretching his aching arms up towards the cloud-free sky. He was the last one to leave the classroom as his _beloved_ classmates had dumped the job of the last clean up on him. He hoped he won't have to see another mop for a long time._

_A long time had gone by since he was ditched and he would've been on his merry way home earlier if Tsuna had not the need to rush back to his classroom when he remembered he had forgotten to close all of the windows. Now that he had finished up, the fresh air (though unbelievably thick from the heat) was heaven to him and that's why he was still standing there just outside the front doors of his school, savouring the sense of freedom that the beginning of summer vacation brings._

_In the distance, hidden by many buildings and a couple of skyscrapers, the sun was setting with a soothing orange glow, taking the warmth of its light with it._

_Wisely, Tsuna pulled on the black knitted sweater vest that his school issued as a precaution which he always kept in his school bag. The days were warm, sometimes unbearably hot, but the nights remained ridiculously cold. It puzzled him how this could be._

_He turned towards the school building and smiled, knowing that he would not have to see it for a while. He wouldn't miss it for sure though he had to admit there were some days when school was partially tolerable (though these were rare and far between)._

_His expression chastened at the thought._

_"Feeling sappy?" said a voice from directly behind him._

_Tsuna whirled around throwing his own balance off from the movement and toppled backwards onto his behind._

_"Ow!" he exclaimed, both from falling onto the ground and the kick to his forehead._

_The little guy who dealt this blow bounced back from the impact and landed lightly on his polished shoes with a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth._

_"Reborn! What was that for?!"_

_"You should know better than to stand around dazed and defenceless like that," the little guy, Reborn, replied, fixing his hat, on which his reptilian companion, Leon the Shape-shifting chameleon, rested on, more firmly to his head of black hair._

_"What do you want, Reborn?" Tsuna sighed, getting to his feet. Whenever Reborn went to look for him, he always wanted something or other._

_"You know you're going to have to succeed the Vongola clan someday."_

_"Not this again, no matter how many times you tell this to me, I'm still going to say no," the brunet stated firmly, beating the dust from his pants. "I like my humanity, there's no way I'm going to throw it away to be a vampire."_

_Apparently, when the first head of the Vongola clan in Italy had retired, he had relocated to Japan. And through several generations, Tsuna was born carrying a miniscule amount of that blood in him. Usually this would mean the latent supernatural powers the blood contains would lie dormant within his body, harmless and ineffectual (much like the appendix)._

_It must have been a fluke or someone's bad sense of humour that these genetics did not remain as docile as he had hoped. He was by no means a vampire but he was not quite as human as he appeared._

_"You can't pretend forever, Tsuna. The Blood of the Vongola is not to be taken lightly even in such small amounts. Once it's activated it'll only get stronger. You already have one foot through the door to the other side. It's only a matter of time."_

_Tsuna clenched one hand into a tightly furled fist. His soft brown eyes connected with Reborn's steely black pupils. The dying sunlight reflected for an instant off the slightly protruding white canines in the one-year-old's mouth._

_"I don't care. Someone can do the job for me. That's not what I want to do with my life."_

_Not that I know what I want to do with my life, Tsuna added inwardly._

_He hitched the strap of his bag more comfortably on his shoulder and headed for the school gate, bypassing the much smaller Reborn in quick strides._

_With a quick, split second leap, Reborn was standing on one of the cement posts that marked the entrance to the school grounds._

_"Stupid Tsuna, you know that no one is left to take the job. That's why you have to take it. Because you're the last of the last choice," Reborn chided. From the insides of his black suit coat, he drew out a cream coloured envelope and held it out to Tsuna._

_"What's this?" he inquired suspiciously, taking it from the little guy._

_"It's from the Ninth in Italy," Reborn answered as Tsuna broke the wax seal, opened the envelope and pulled out the sheaf of stationary tucked inside. Upon unfolding it, the centre of the decorative border at the top alit with a candlelight-sized flame of orange._

_Tsuna almost dropped it in his surprise._

_"What the-?"_

_"It's the Ninth's seal. A Dying Will flame." Tsuna shuffled through the paper and squinted at the elegant cursive that remained unintelligible to him._

_"I can't read this at all."_

_"That's because it's in Italian."_

_"Then why did you give it to me?!" Tsuna exclaimed, miffed. He put the papers back in their original order and carefully stuffed them into the envelope._

"_Those are the Ninth's orders concerning your first duty to the Vongola clan. He wants you to help the special squadron that he had assigned to Japan's branch headquarters in a negotiation concerning an alliance with the leader of the most influential clan that has dominated most of this country in the last couple of years. It's just a precaution, to play nice and avoid a war."_

_"Look. You can quit trying to make me…make me convert. I'm never going to do it. Not now, not ever! Get that into your head, okay?! Negotiations? What could I even do?! What you need is a lawyer, not some middle school kid who obviously doesn't want to be involved!" Tsuna yelled, his blood boiling. "You never care about what I think about all this, always making me do things against my will, biting me-"_

_Tsuna paused, a shiver had run down his spine from the thought. He remembered how weird, disoriented he felt after he got bitten._

_The rush of adrenaline that coursed through his veins._

_All his limits suddenly unrestrained._

_The feel of first flight-_

_He shook his head clear of those betraying thoughts. He was breathing heavily now as if he had just finished a marathon in an impossibly short amount of time. The tainted blood in him stirred sluggishly._

_"I'm going home, Reborn. Mom will be worried so…so I guess I'll see you later." Tsuna ran a wearily, trembling hand through his brown locks and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The world seemed to bend around him._

_Reborn called out to him from behind._

_"Tsuna. The person who you're meeting with his name is-"_

_Even in the folds of sleep, Tsuna could feel a minor disturbance. Something wasn't right but he was too tired, too weak to care._

_"I said I'm not going!" Tsuna yelled and took off into the distance. He ran aimlessly, desperate to get away from Reborn.could associate with._

_No._

_He wasn't running away from the little guy, even if he had so listlessly invaded his life and brought with him a world he never_

_He was running away._

_Running away from those feelings of joy, of freedom and excitement._

_Those feelings he had when the vampire within had taken over._

_In his blind sprint of escape, he was nearing areas with high concentrations of people; his peaked instincts told him so. Startled, he skidded to a stop; his speed had escalated enough to leave a burning skid mark on the sidewalk._

_His breaths came out in short pants though not from his mad dash. A minivan rattled past him on the road._

_He didn't dare run again in fear that someone might see and settled for a brisk march as he walked in the busiest district, head down, merging with crowd around him._

_It was then that he heard the ragged breaths from the alleyway blocks away_.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The darkening street echoed with the clatter of shoes on pavement as Gokudera and Yamamoto returned to the site where the latter had left the poor unconscious boy. Long shadows were cast along the walls around them from the light streaming out of uncovered windows. A lamppost overhead flickered on.

"I can't believe you just left the human outside! And with an open wound to make things worse! It's a wonder that you haven't been caught!" Gokudera growled, setting the pace with his quick long strides.

He hooked a finger on his black tie and loosened it. With the coat unbuttoned, the stuffiness that swamped him all day lowered in intensity marginally.

"I just thought you wouldn't appreciate a stranger in your room, is all," Yamamoto interjected with much prudence. The usual good natured expression was dampened with concern for the young man who probably saved him from doing something regrettable.

He'd have to thank him properly when he got the chance.

"People these days. Getting stupider by the generation…" Gokudera grumbled under his breath, groping his jacket's inner pocket for the pack of cigarettes he kept in there. This proved to be fruitless as he remembered momentarily that he had dumped it hastily into his drawer when the thug had barged with the idiot during one of his breaks.

Who cared if there was a little smoke in the building? It's not like anyone was alive enough to die from second-hand smoking.

"Ciaossu."

"R-reborn-san!" the half-Italian exclaimed as the little vampire landed on his shoulder with practiced ease. "What brings you here at this hour? How is the Tenth?"

"Just a few loose ends to tie. Tsuna is being a problem as usual. He didn't take the news of his orders well."

"I'm sure the Tenth will come around. If I were in his position, I too would be troubled especially when having to attempt civil conversation with…_that sort_ of guy," Gokudera grimaced in memory but quickly reverted to the enthusiastic way he spoke to Reborn. "But the Tenth would be able to handle it, absolutely. He would have no problem talking that guy down."

Reborn smirked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"The next time you're off during the day I'll arrange for you to meet him. Then you can judge him yourself."

"It would be an honour, Reborn-san! I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. Thank you so much!" Gokudera said loudly from his excitement. Though he had yet to meet the Tenth, next head of their clan, he had heard many stories of his achievements and deeds from Reborn and everything Reborn told him was true. He would never doubt his word.

"You must be Yamamoto," Reborn stated, jumping over to the other teen's shoulder. Yamamoto grinned widely and said casually,

"Hey there, little guy." Gokudera had never been so appalled.

"_How dare you be so disrespectful to Reborn-san?!_ I don't care if you're the new guy, I will tolerate your insolence towards myself but I will not stand this sort of behaviour towards Reborn-san!" Gokudera spat, ready to tear Yamamoto to bits. He bared his teeth, the long white fangs lengthened minutely as a feral savageness clouded his darkening narrow gray eyes.

Though Gokudera would never admit it, he was not as of yet a full fledged vampire as most blood children are fully blooded after puberty ends. It was only a couple more years. He could wait.

"It's fine, Gokudera," Reborn said, holding a hand towards the enraged half-vampire who immediately desisted.

"Filthy unnatural blooded idiot…" Gokudera spat. He hastened his pace to double the original speed to run off his discontentment.

"Are you a swordsman?" Reborn inquired, noting that Yamamoto had a fit human body that was the ideal form of any self-respecting athlete.

"Nope. I play baseball. Why? Do I look like a swordsman?"

"Hmm. We should get you assigned under Squallo while he's still in Japan. You definitely have the potential."

"Potential? What do you- Oh, we're here."

They arrived at a cobble-stoned street that seemed very out of place in the Japanese town. Droves of foreigners milled around; activity thrived at every shop as they began to open for the night.

"I left him over there. He shouldn't have gone away as he was sort of unconscious when I left him." They fought through a dense crowd of giggly half-vampire females who were fawning over an exotic looking outfit in one window and stepped out onto the road which was devoid of any and all vehicles.

"Where is he?" Gokudera griped turning his head to look for a sleeping figure with irritation. "It would be appreciated if you stop wasting our time, idiot, hurry up and find him. We haven't got all night."

"What happened?" Without delay at Reborn's question, Gokudera hurried explained everything in extreme detail embellishing a few parts and demeaning Yamamoto in a couple others.

"Uh oh."

"What '_uh oh_'?"

Yamamoto didn't reply to his snappish retort and jogged over to the empty bench he had left the sleeping boy on except he was no longer there. All that was left behind was the school issued bag he had noticed on the ground after lifting the smaller teen into his arms.

Reborn's face was dark with a sense of foreboding as he looked upon the scene with steady eyes.

Gokudera inspected the bench thoughtfully and found a fresh knife wound embedded in the wood. Frowning deeply, he touched the mark lightly with his fingertips.

Reborn hopped off Yamamoto's shoulder and dug into the side pocket of the bag. He pulled out a student ID.

"This is not good."

Confused by this statement, Gokudera took the ID from Reborn and inspected it curiously.

The stolen blood inside him ran cold.

The name on the ID was the same as the Tenth's but that was not what startled him the most.

What startled him was that he knew that face from somewhere.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The jostling movement roused Tsuna from his lethargic slumber. The light from his surroundings penetrated his eyelids and stung at his tired eyes. He could hear snippets of conversation from around him that sounded distant and fuzzy.

"…good catch……late notice………-utie too…"

"…where's Le-………the moment I……in…"

Fragments of his dream swirled around in his head, some vivid, some blurred in and out of focus. Tsuna shifted uncomfortably as his mind fought between which state of consciousness it should be in.

"…sleeping………-ive him to……fix him……"

The dreams were winning, pulling the brunet back into the wings of sleep before he heard the words that triggered the part skipped part in his memory. The voice in reality was devastatingly loud as it spoke.

"Think that guy will like this little gift? That Hibari guy…"

_Reborn called out to him from behind._

_"Tsuna. The person who you're meeting with his name is Kyouya Hibari. Don't ever create a misunderstanding in his presence. It might just be the last thing you'll do."_

_  
_Tsuna's eyes shot open at this sudden recollection. Wincing from the protruding beams of light, he squinted at the high ceiling that was alien to him.

Someone seemed to notice that he had awoken.

"Well _well_, looks like our Sleeping Beauty has finally decided to wake up."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: Plot hits right at the start. We got Tsuna being kidnapped by the people who he's supposed to be working with and Gokkun apparently remembers Tsuna's face from somewhere. I must confess that this story really lacks plot and I'm pretty much making most of it up along the way so I apologize for any plot holes that may pop up.

_A little Exposition because the authoress' mind needs you to be on the same track as hers_:

Blood children are natural born vampires who descend from two or one vampire parent. When two vampires mate, they sustain the child by constantly feeding the female with copious amounts of blood during pregnancy. As this is very taxing and difficult to do, this is a rare occurrence. More commonly are vampire-human pairings where the child comes out with mostly human genes. Usually upon approaching the age of 3, the vampire genes will start to dominate and the child must be half-blooded in order to keep them from going insane. The child then continues life as a half-vampire until after puberty before they become fully blooded. They grow at a half the human rate until they hit puberty when they grow faster. Blood children of two vampire parents is born full blooded but may be strongly affected by synthetic creations of humans.

Blooded kin are vampires created through the simpler means of turning a human. Most vampires are created this way but many older clans look to this as unnatural although they accept this as an effective method of keeping their race strong. Blooded kin must remain a certain period of time (different per individual) as half-blooded after they've been to turn so the vampire genetics can properly assimilate into the human ones without completely destroying each other for control.

_Beta's Note_: -Squeals.- So I'm a total dork, since I've never actually _read _KHR, but I'm totally loving reading this. 8D It makes me think that slowly (ever so slowly) Anka may be turning me towards reading the actual manga. –Snicker.- ANYWHO. 8 I hope I'll get to beta for this story again, soon. w! Meru

**Thank you for reading! Reviews, comments, complaints, questions, etc. are appreciated so please don't be shy and give me your opinion on what you liked or the faults you find.**


	3. Meeting

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: February 28, 2008

End Date: February 29, 2008

**WARNINGS**: Possible OOCness.

_A/Ns_: D:. HAPPY LEAP YEAR DAY OF FEBRUARY 29th!! I hope you like this!

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_Akuno Hikari_: XD. Glad it made your day.

_Lady Serena Sparrow_: Yes, Mukuro will definitely be in this. KHR just isn't KHR without Mukuro…XD. I'm not sure when he'll enter the scene but he will.

_littlegirl-chan_: Sorry. This isn't 8027, it's 1827. D:. I'm such a disappointment.

_AnimeLuverr_: Do you really think so? I can't really judge my own writing style…it changes a lot too…

_QuickSilver4_: XD. Whoa, long review. Every fanfic needs YamaGoku squabbling. S'truth. Yeah, Reborn bites Tsuna to make the abilities surface but there's actually more to that which I will get into later. I'm getting good at cliffhangers so…beware! 8D. Yeah, well, Gokkun didn't know it was the Tenth until…the end of the chapter so…XD. And yup, Yama is the second kind. Here's an update. 8D.

_warflame001_: Thank you. I've seen that other vampire!KHR fic, although I haven't read it. Actually, I haven't read fanfiction in ages…just write them. D:. I'm glad that it's not too similar to the other one…even though I haven't read it. XD.

_IcedCandy_: I'm glad I made this vampire!fic enjoyable for you. Oh and look! An update. Will you look at that.

Many thanks also to Anave Lipad, T-gal, and RoxasIsReal13.

**(The story will now commence! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter Two – Meeting

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Squallo dumped the sleeping body onto the plush European two-seater with distinct irritation.

"Vooooi! Why did I have to carry him the whole time?!"

"Because I was leading the squadron and Marmon, well," Belphegor paused and grinned here, "you don't expect Marmon to do it, right?"

The Italian sword master gritted his teeth and kicked the two-seater violently to ease some of his fury. Marmon reentered the room through the grand double doors and perched on the top of a matching armchair. Following him was a man with a decidedly flamboyant state of dress.

"Oooh! What a good catch!" Lussuria cooed, bending over the back of the couch on which Tsuna laid asleep. "And on such a late notice, not to mention he's a cutie too."

"Where's Levi, that bastard? The moment I get my hands on him, I'm going smash his head in, making us run out on this late shopping trip," Squallo growled disgruntled. He dropped casually onto another armchair next to the putout fireplace, his bad temper escalating.

Belphegor hovered over the prone unconscious figure twirling one of his blades in a hand and snickered.

"He's still sleeping. Unbelievable. Let the Cervello to fix him up for the negotiations meeting." The others nodded in agreement with Marmon's suggestion.

"Think that guy will like this little gift? That Hibari guy…"

There was a groan issued from the person under discussion as he woke up abruptly. The boy winced from the light of the brilliant crystal chandelier, covering his eyes with an arm.

"Well, _well_, looks like our Sleeping Beauty has finally decided to wake up."

"Wha…?" he mumbled incoherently, a drowsy haze clogging his mind and hindering his thoughts.

Tsuna sat up, rubbing the sides of his shoulders to generate some warmth as the room's temperature was abnormally low.

"Hn. I'm going to get something to eat," Squallo sneered and walked out of the room with heavy footsteps. The blade of the sword attached to his wrist scraped against the walls as he strode down the hallway.

"Where am I? Who are you?" Tsuna inquired, sitting up. He yawned fitfully and blinked a few times.

Lussuria clasped his gloved hands together and squealed, "He's even more adorable when awake! Oh ho!"

"Don't even think about it, Lussuria. You know we don't have the time to find yet another replacement."

"Aw, don't be such a wet blanket, Marmon," the effeminate man whined, flicking a lock of non-existent hair over the green faux fur of his jacket collar.

The door opened once again as two identical pink haired women entered. Their faces were obscured by the black mask that was becoming at a masquerade ball.

"Please excuse our intrusion," they spoke in unison.

"Take care of him," Bel directed, gesturing towards the befuddled Tsuna on the couch.

"Huh? What are you-?" Tsuna started when the two women pulled him to his face by the arms. His knees buckled but the women stood firm.

"Please follow us, humble guest."

"W-wait!" the brunet stuttered as he was dragged away towards another door but his protests were lost to the click of the locking door that left him alone and defenceless.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

What happened next was a blur of colours to Gokudera as he was rushed from the streets to outside the head office of the Vongola's Japanese Branch headquarters.

He rubbed his knuckles as he sat hunched over on the ottoman in the elegant lobby that was buzzing with activity. Yamamoto sat across from him in deep concerned contemplation.

The face on the ID had triggered a memory he had nearly forgotten, one he had cast away the moment he entered life with the Vongola clan.

Perhaps it was an act of destiny.

But then again, what had destiny ever done for him?

The half-Italian gritted his teeth, desperate for a smoke and sighed deeply, nostalgic. He knew he had not mistaken. Not that face, the resemblance was too great. Only a few human years had passed since then and the thoughts flooded into his mind like water out of a dam.

He was about to lose himself in his memories when the grand doors opened once more.

Everyone in the lobby froze and looked towards the little figure that stepped out. Reborn strode out with a frightening presence and headed towards the two teens that jumped to their feet immediately upon his return.

"W-what happened, Reborn-san?" Gokudera asked before Yamamoto could open his mouth to speak. Reborn looked at them with a dark expression that suppressed the annoyance underneath.

"They took him. Now we go and get him back," he said simply and started on his way towards the elevator.

"Who's they?" Yamamoto said, pacing next to the little guy.

The quiet, passive crowd opened a way for them, silent as a morgue with attentive eyes that betrayed their curiosity and alarm.

The elevator rushed up and opened to greet them with a soft ping. They piled in as soon as the two ruffled workers in white lab coats scurried out at the sight of them.

Only then did Reborn reply,

"The Varia."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Beyond the door was, to Tsuna's utter surprise, a luxurious and spacious bathroom.

The floor was tiled to perfection with marble-like creamy shale. The walls were whitewashed and faint intricate designs of rebellious swirls lapped at them on the bottom. Four small candlelit chandeliers filled the interior with soft wavering golden light.

In the centre of it all was a bath. Presumably a bath, one easily the size of a small indoors pool.

Caught up in taking in the sights, Tsuna was barely aware that someone was trying to pull his black sweater vest over his head.

"H-hey!" he protested as his vision was clouded in dark knitted cloth. As soon as he free of it, he looked up slightly at the face of one of the rose haired woman.

She was unbuttoning his shirt.

With a mortified squeak, the flustered teen slapped her hands away and jumped a good distance back. He slipped on wet tiles and threw his arms up in the air before the other lady caught him from behind.

"Please be careful."

Tsuna backed away from the both of them, clutching his half open shirt to his chest.

"What are you trying to do?!"

The woman with his neatly folded sweater vest replied curtly, "Undressing you."

"What for?!"

"So you may wash up, humble guest."

The other woman who he just noticed was wearing a black skirt and not shorts like the other was kneeling at the side of the enormous tub, twisting the equally large faucet handles. Steaming water poured out of the taps and began its sluggish task of filling the tub.

"And why should I do that?"

The woman in black shorts walked over to a metal shelf stacked completely with woven baskets placed his best inside one of them as the other replied,

"So you will be presentable."

"Presentable?"

"Yes. Please undress and enter the bath, humble guest." In a matter of no time at all, the tub had filled nearly to the brim, a thick layer of uninterrupted soap bubbles floated on the surface. The woman in the skirt dipped a dark skinned hand in to test the temperature.

When the two had seemingly finished their tasks, they stood side by side at the tub's edge, looking at him expectantly.

"…Aren't you two going to leave?"

They showed no signs of understanding his question.

"We were instructed to assist in your cleaning, humble guest."

"I can wash myself."

They looked upon him in silence.

"I don't need help."

They said nothing still.

Tsuna sighed, rubbing his red cheeks.

This might take a while.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Those Varia bastards took the Tenth?! Unforgivable!" Gokudera yelled, stepping out onto the windblown rooftop. "They are the Vongola too! This is mutiny, a betrayal!"

"What's the Varia?" Yamamoto asked, raising a hand up to his face as a particularly strong gust of wind lashed against his figure.

"The Varia," Reborn began, "is an Italia based assassin squadron of our clan. They were assigned over here recently due to the growing influence of a certain clan in the area and may very well be threatening our territory and even our existence in this country."

Yamamoto nodded, not quite understanding, and stepped up to the edge of the roof. He looked down and was amazed at exactly how high up they were.

"The Varia is supposed to negotiate with this clan about alliance or perhaps an agreement to keep us out of clan war," Reborn continued. "It's a mystery why the Ninth would send over such a rowdy, temperamental group for a delicate operation such as this. He hasn't replied to my letter yet either."

"But why would they take the Tenth, Reborn-san? I just don't get it." Gokudera buttoned the jacket of his suit quickly and pulled out a length of elastic from his pocket to keep his gray hair out of his vision.

"The Varia's rules in dealing with negotiations are strictly traditional. One of which is preparing a suitable gift of remarkable value to gain a little favour."

"You don't mean-"

"Yes, exactly that. It was probably a coincidence that they picked up Tsuna from street," Reborn paused and looked at the clear sky and the hanging luminescent orb that was the moon. A mass of dark clouds pervaded the eastern region. "We're short of time, let's continue as we travel."

"Travel?" Yamamoto questioned, looking around the rooftop for perhaps a helicopter of some sort.

"Don't be stupid, idiot! You're half a vampire now, we're flitting!" Gokudera growled like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Stupid fresh halfs…" he added under his breath.

"How are we supposed to do-?"

"Just jump and don't fall off the buildings!" And with that Gokudera launched off into the night with a graceful, practiced leap. Reborn had already gone ahead during their squabble, a mere speck in the distance.

Cautiously, Yamamoto stepped onto the rail-less edge and steadied himself against the strong breeze.

He jumped.

It was unlike anything he'd ever done before. The world rushed passed him and he touched down onto the lower rooftop of a building two streets away instantaneously. Quickly, he adapted to this strange, foreign type of travel and caught up in moments.

The wind did not even seem as harsh as it used to be.

Only days before he could only jump a couple metres at his best and winds of these velocities would bite at his skin with their icy chill vicious and relentless. Now he felt perfectly fine as if it was a mere gentle spring wind that whipped through his clothes and hair.

It was fascinating.

Thrilling even.

But this thrill reminded how _abnormal_ he had become.

It was undeniable proof that his brain could not supply an excuse to explain it away.

It was reality, the reality that he would never return his earlier days again.

He almost ran astray and hastily shifted directions, forcing his thoughts off his own problems and back onto the ones on hand. With a burst of speed, he soon found himself flitting side by side to the little guy.

"Is Tsuna going to be okay?" Gokudera's enraged hollers at his disrespect were lost to the wind.

"Well…"

"Well?" Concern invaded Yamamoto's senses.

"He'll probably…"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tsuna sat meekly on the edge of the bath that was submerged in the water.

After several long embarrassingly frustrating minutes of reasoning with the two women, they finally left him to his privacy. By this time, most of the scented foam had dissolved. Finding himself with very little options, he had stripped off the rest of his clothes and hopped into the massive bath to cleanse himself.

Thoughts of escape fluttered through Tsuna's head as he looked up at the skylight that was positioned over the centre of the water, letting in a pearlescent moonlight that danced on the rippling surface.

Finally, after no plausible plan made itself known to him, Tsuna rinsed himself over by submerging himself in the waters as he did earlier and pushed himself out of the tub.

He spotted a folded towel next to the faucet that he hadn't before and wrapped it around him, shivering from the cold.

With wet footsteps he padded over to the embroidered folding screen where he had left his clothes.

They weren't there.

Bewildered by their disappearance, Tsuna walked over to the metal shelf of baskets and peered into the one in which the woman in shorts had placed his sweater vest.

It wasn't there either.

He checked the other baskets.

They were devoid of anything other than more towels.

He considered his choices of staying in there in a towel or chancing the door that lead to the sitting room that may very well be full of people. He decided he'd rather drown in the bath.

Turning back, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a smidgeon of black on the little table cabinet and skittered over, the wet towel growing cold.

It was a set of clothes.

But how did it get there?

Come to think of it, how did the towel appear next to the faucets and how did his clothes disappear-

Tsuna's face flushed red with embarrassment when he realised that one of the woman probably came when he didn't notice.

He sneezed, derailing that train of thoughts and decided that it was smarter to try on the clothes.

The trousers, black and reaching just below the knee, fit perfectly but the white cotton shirt was several sized too large. The sleeves slipped over his hands, the end covered nearly half of his pants and the collar was wide. Never the less, he pulled it on as well as a black slip-over that was not unlike his black vest except with large hood attached to the neck.

After dressing, he felt considerably more comfortable and pulled on the socks and black boots as well. He kind of wished he had a mirror.

Resolutely, he marched up to the door and, hesitating at this step, flung it open.

The group of people were in the sitting room once more, sitting on the furniture or leaning nonchalantly against the door, several of them were new faces but the one who sat in the two-seater grabbed his attention the most.

The man's mere presence seemed to fill the seat; the flickering of the newly started fire to his side illuminated his scarred features. The shadows of his face spoke of his stern cruel personality and the casual lounging of his feet on the immaculate glass coffee table told of his superiority over the others.

The two Cervello had snuck up behind Tsuna and pushed him towards the man despite his silent protests. He stopped short, barely two feet away. He could feel the scrutiny of the others in the room.

A calloused hand grabbed his chin roughly and jerked head towards the man's heavily scarred face.

Tsuna trembled, biting his lower lip as the man's cold calculating eyes roamed over his features briefly.

There was a sharp pain on his cheek as a sharp fingernail cut into the soft flesh and drew blood.

The man drew in the scent of the blood with one inhale. He closed his eyes, testing it.

"Does he fit the requirements, Xanxus-sama?" the two Cervello women inquired, bowing low to the scarred man.

Xanxus released Tsuna who staggered back a few steps into the coffee table. He stared into the dark depths of the man's eyes with an indecipherable emotion.

"Perfect."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Kyouya Hibari slid off from his perch on the windowsill and moved towards his desk where a traditional Japanese made cup sat filled with a crimson liquid.

The wind whistling into the room waft around him, causing the standard school issued jacket on his shoulders to flutter ever so slightly. A bird of the night outside let out its call into the silent world that surrounded the building. Hibari had barely lifted the cup to his lips when the Japanese sliding doors of his office opened without notice.

With a movement unintelligible to the human eye, he was across the room and up against the intruder; a metal tonfa had appeared in his hand, which he brought down with tremendous force.

Xanxus replied with the instantaneous draw of his X marked gun which he used to parry the attack.

"…Strays?" Hibari asked without intonation. He did not back off, holding his position and steadily applying pressure.

"Negotiators," Xanxus replied, he too unyielding.

Hibari slowly lowered his tonfa to his side as one of his subordinates rushed inside.

"I'm so sorry, Hibari-san! They just came in without regards to whatever we said and-" He was cut short by a blow to the head.

"Shut up." The henchman scurried to the side of the room out of the way as another man with the same hairstyle that was reminiscent of Elvis Presley entered the room and took up his position next to Hibari.

Hibari and Xanxus exchanged wordless conversation before the latter raised his hand, signalling to one of his squad behind him.

Levi A. Than came forward and pushed a small figure in black onto the tatami flooring none too gently.

Tsuna winced and sat up, rubbing the side of his face that hit the floor.

"A gift."

"I have no use for weak herbivores."

They once again exchanged wordless conversation that lasted moments longer than the first. Hibari stared down at the hooded brunet sitting on the floor with distaste.

"Kusakabe. Get it drained and stored, dispose of the body afterwards."

"Yes."

Kusakabe came forward and took hold of Tsuna's shoulder to yank him to his feet. Tsuna yelled and struggled, falling onto his back, his hood slipping off in the process. The teen groaned and rubbed his back where he knew bruises would form.

"Wait," Hibari said as Kusakabe moved to grab hold of Tsuna again.

With a majestic motion, he knelt down in front of the petrified boy and stared him in the face. Tsuna could once again only stare back, shivering from the imminent terror.

For the second time that day, a hand grabbed his chin, this one a little more gently, and he felt the warm breath of the older teen on his cheek.

"On second thought," he said slowly, "I think I'll keep you."

Hibari pulled the silver white band from the pinky of his right hand and seized Tsuna's small quavering one, slipping it onto his.

There was flash of hot pain as the band of metal marked him with a sign of ownership, contracting to fit him. White looping marks curled around his small finger, connecting to form a binding contract.

Tsuna looked at it with wonder and shock. The situation felt so surreal it couldn't be happening.

The hand returned to its previous position, lifting his chin up.

Hibari pressed his cold lips against the cut on his cheek and said,

"You will do fine…"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"_Well?"_

"He'll probably be kept…"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"…As my blood slave."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: Lolol. Hibari-san enters the scene! 3. So how was that for you? Is it good enough? I rushed because I wanted to upload this on the leap year day of February 29th. D: So it might be slightly bad. Sorry.

_Beta's Note_: If "dglhdasglashglashglasgsaga" was a real word, that's what I'd think. My brain went to mush in the last couple lines.

**Thank you for reading and I hope you can take the time to review to tell me what you thought about it. Complaints are welcome! Until next time, hope you stay well and KHR fanatics.**


	4. Recalling

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: March 5, 2008

End Date: March 12, 2008

**WARNINGS**: Possible OOCness.

_A/Ns_: Hello, lovely readers again. I'm not going to bore you with something to do with my life here, I'll do that at the bottom, but I'd like you to know that I'm considering drawing some illustrations for my fanfiction. Yeah, this one. Of course, I'd probably end up doing it because of my beta, Meru. What do you think?

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_Anave Lipad_: D: Did I give the impression Hibari-san was in the Varia? Sorry. And now the wait's over! Isn't that great?

_526663_: You think I write well? Thank you.  I'm glad to hear that this didn't turn you off because it's a vampire fic, I hope I can continue to keep you on the bandwagon until the end. XD.

_Quicksilver4_: XDDD. Whoa that _is_ one long review. Haha. Gokkun does know Tsuna when he was little and it's explained in this chapter but he isn't a blooded, he's a blood child, half though through his mother's side so you were right the first time. I always thought the Cervello were closet perverts because most stoic people are totally perverts at heart. Totally. His vampire genes are pretty dormant, it weakened through the generations, Tsuna's special though because even though it's so weak in him, it can still activate. Well, this chapter doesn't end with a real cliff hanger so lucky for you, eh? And look at that! It's only been a couple weeks! Double lucky. :D.

_Lady Serena Sparrow_: Exceeds expectations? High praise there, are you sure they're for me? XD. I actually planned to have Xanxus uh…rough him up a bit before they get to Hibari-san's place but I ditched that along the way because it didn't fit in. I'm currently trying to work out ways to prolong Tsuna's _servitude_ but I've figured out a couple of things. XD. I'm pleased to know I put a spurt of energy, happiness and joy in your life. Maybe this will too? Maybe?

_Akuno Hikari_: :_walks into your goo_: Geh! :_trips and sticks to floor_: D:. This can be problematic. :_sprays re-solidifier on you_:

And many thanks also to IcedCandy, cheerful-pinkstar, littlegirl-chan, AnimeLuverr, Mizuki hikari, firedraygon, and JiaeR.

**(Scroll down for the story! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 3 – Recalling

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"I'll think about it."

"Vooooi! Think about it?! You made our boss come all the way here to your dinky little hideout in the woods just to _think about it_?!" Squallo bellowed, swinging his blade around dangerously in his outrage. The tatami mat next to him split through the middle and crumpled irreparably.

He continued to spew out threats as his comrades either watched him entertained or let their gaze wander around the elaborate furnishings of the room.

"Bastards, all of you-where're you going, boss?" the long haired swordsman inquired in the middle of his rant when Xanxus proceeded silently to the door.

Their leader walked on without looking back or signalling them to follow him, his black coat flapped behind him as he strode long quick paces out of the building.

"B-boss!"

The rest of the Varia immediately followed, sparing only brief glances at the man with metal tonfas at his side, daring them to protest again.

Grudgingly, Squallo shot a last contemptuous glare at Hibari and at Tsuna who sat rigid with shock on the floor before taking off.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Outside a western-styled multiple-floored mansion shrouded in the oblong shadows of the forest edge surrounding it, the trio ended their journey. It was in front of the iron wrought gates that were overgrown with vines where they paused to catch their breaths from the hasty trip across the enlarging town which had grown significantly in the past couple of decades.

The tender glow of candlelight filtered through the tall windows, illuminating patches of olive green lawn. In the distance a bird screeched its native call and dotted the navy blue night sky as it took flight with its flock.

Reborn hopped onto a moss-covered pedestal and swatted the overgrowth away on a section of the gate, revealing a doorbell. He pressed it thrice and waited.

The weeds came to life and withdrew their suffocating choke on the gates which open backwards against the laws of physics unaided.

Precariously the three trod onto the paved road that led up to a roundabout. The fountain erected in the centre was worn and crumbling emanating a feeling of eternal despair from the forlorn statue mounted on top. Its weather-battered arms were raised to the merciless heavens, bound in place by the wild growth that flourished in the absence of a proper gardener.

As they neared the grand building, the entrance to the establishment swung open, casting an elongated silhouette of the statue on their path, stretching to their feet. Two pink haired women in black attire stood in the doorway waiting.

When they were a short distance from the door, the two women parted to make way for them, holding an arm across their chest, bowing respectfully to their late guests.

"Good Evening, humble guests," they spoke in unison.

Gokudera eyed them with particular suspicion, his instincts throbbing ever so slightly in a negative way. His first step into the threshold sent a peculiar chill along his spine. Ignoring it, he adjusted his collar, blaming a non-existent draft that remained despite the arrival of summer and sniffed at the old fashioned décor.

Reborn who had ridden on Yamamoto's shoulder for the journey to the house dropped lightly to his feet and addressed the two Cervello members bluntly,

"Where's Xanxus?"

"A thousand apologies, Xanxus-sama is out for the night on business," they replied curtly, rising from their stiff bows.

"When will he be back?"

"We are uncertain, if you wish for it to be so, please wait in the parlour for Xanxus-sama's return."

"We'll wait."

One of the pink haired women bowed briefly and left them while the other raised a polite hand and with little expression directed them towards the door to the side of the grand hall into a long carpeted hallway.

The maroon-ish red walls were lined with portraits on one side, windows on the other. Each oil painting possessed amazingly realistic eyes that almost seemed to be watching them as they walked by.

Yamamoto let out an impressed whistle when they reached the parlour with its high ceiling, rich carpet and enormous fireplace. The furniture was tastefully matching as well. Irritatingly, Gokudera sat on a plush two-seater as the woman left them after stoking the fire to life.

"Is Tsuna really here, little guy?" Yamamoto asked, wandering along the side of the room, staring at all the little interesting trinkets displayed on their little ornately carved tables.

"Most likely but it'll do little good if Xanxus has already left, he might be at Hibari's place already with Tsuna at hand," Reborn replied from his position in front of the roaring fire.

"Then what are we doing sitting around here, Reborn-san?! Shouldn't we go to that guy's place and get the Tenth back?!" Gokudera exclaimed, standing up abruptly. "We could be wasting valuable time just waiting here!"

"Only a man with a serious death wish would venture into that guy's fortress on purpose and without backup," Reborn said, staring into the flickering flames of the fire. "If we're lucky, Xanxus may only have left for an entirely different reason and thus there may be a chance that he will come back with Tsuna before his confrontation with Hibari. Don't get excited over that prospect though," he added, sensing the hope bubbling in his companions' bodies. "It's only but an improbability. The cards of fate are unfavourable towards us this night."

They remained silent and solemn after the little vampire said this, the sound of the large clock mounted above the mantle ticking their time away.

"Stop pacing, you idiot. It's unnerving," Gokudera snapped at Yamamoto who was walking around the room again, not really looking at anything in particular.

"Okay, sure," he said, shrugging his shoulders. Turning around sharply, the tip of his battered runners kicked a cardboard box hard enough to spinning out from under a display table.

"Be careful, goddamn it!"

"My bad, my bad," the recently turned half-vampire apologized sheepishly, bending over to push it back into its spot under the table. As he nudged it sideways at one corner, he suddenly noticed what was inside it.

"Hey, what's this…?" he muttered, rummaging through it. "Hey! Look at this!"

Gokudera turned his head back and glared at him without restraint.

"Don't look through other people's things! Haven't your parents taught you any manners at all?!"

"Shut up for a moment and look."

"What did you find, Yamamoto?" Reborn asked hopping onto the armrest of a plump armchair.

From the box Yamamoto had pulled out three things: a small white dress shirt, a black knitted vest, and a pair of slacks.

A scent reached Gokudera's sensitive nose, he reached forward and took the white shirt from Yamamoto who called out in surprise from the sudden movement. Turning the shirt inside out, he inspected the collar.

There was a dried bit of blood on it that still managed to emit a distinct smell.

"Tsuna's school uniform. This isn't a good sign," Reborn remarked, looking into the box in case something else was left inside.

The clock unexpectedly let out a loud dong followed by another after another, sounding the arrival of nine in the evening, startling the three inside. At this moment the door opened, the two Cervello women entered baring trays of cups, a teapot and a platter of crumpets.

They inclined their heads towards the three, seemingly ignoring the discovery they were literally holding in their hands, and set about preparing the tea and dividing up the crumpets on the glass coffee table.

"Cervello," Reborn said, catching the attention of the two who did not pause in their actions. "Tell me, has Tsunayoshi Sawada been here?"

The china teapot clinked as it was set back onto its matching plate. The women directed their gaze to the little guy though this was uncertain as their eyes were masked from sight.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada-sama has indeed arrived here earlier this evening with the humble members of the Varia. He bathed and accompanied Xanxus-sama on his business trip afterwards."

Before they could properly absorb the information, the two Cervello women added,

"Will you be leaving? Or will you be staying for tea?"

Gokudera looked eager to bolt, Yamamoto not far from it.

Reborn raised a hand to stop them; his expression was dark even with the fire's warm light against his face. His voice was resolute as he said,

"We'll be waiting."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tsuna barely held in his squeak of utter terror as the ground below shrank rapidly, the cold air cutting into his skin. Squeezing his eyes shut, he could only cling, against his will, to the shoulder of his captor, Kyouya Hibari, as they leaped from foothold to foothold that only the stoically dangerous man (and a selected few) knew.

It was over in a moment. The wind settled as Hibari landed nimbly on the window sill of the room, Tsuna thrown over his shoulder. Stepping into the warm interior, he tossed the smaller boy onto the four poster bed in the middle of the room.

Tsuna bounced lightly on the mattress, sitting up on the raven-black sheets of sleek silk nervously as he watched Hibari walk over to his desk, swinging the black jacket off his shoulders and hanging it on the back of the leather office chair.

It was in that brief moment that Tsuna recalled everything he knew about the man in front of him.

Perhaps two or three decades ago, Namimori had been a relatively small and unremarkable town. Gradually the population rose until the school board had put forth the decision to create a second branch of the town's local middle school. With only an overly large levelled field between them, Namimori-A and Namimori-B had been established, the former building being A.

The students that graduated from the single primary school, which was for an unknown reason larger than it was supposed to have been, were divided into these two buildings depending on their school grades. It was a frank but straightforward way to separate the bad eggs from the good ones. So it was to no surprise that Tsuna had ended up in Nami-B.

Though the students of the two buildings rarely mingled amongst each other, except for the yearly summer cultural festival and sports day, they had shared one thing in common, Kyouya Hibari-san of Nami-A the notorious president of both schools' single Discipline Committee. That was another reason why they did not mingle due to that fact that Hibari rigorously and almost religiously patrolled down the white chalk line that cut the field into two everyday, marking that territory as no man's land.

Tsuna had heard all the stories but he had never seen the man face to face, always keeping to the school's interior during the break and lunches. He seemed to have a little luck for even though Hibari patrolled Nami-B more than Nami-A, probably because the students were generally more rowdy there, he was able to avoid a chance meeting.

_But_, he thought, _why is Hibari-san the so called head of a fast-spreading powerful vampire clan and still attending middle school?_

While he pondered this, Hibari turned from his desk, approaching him with a slow, deliberate movement. He reached up, loosening his blue tie with a finger. Noticing a few seconds too late, Tsuna's panicked escape was ineffective.

A cool hand rested on his shoulder, he could feel the abnormal temperature on the bit of flesh his wide collared shirt exposed. The other hand pulled his chin sharply in the opposite direction, causing to Tsuna to yelp.

"Hmm. Whoever fed on you last made a sloppy job of sealing you up," Hibari stated blandly, examining the partly healed bite mark on the younger boy's neck.

Nervously, Tsuna moved to cover the mark with a hand. The hand on his shoulder caught it before he could even touch it.

"What's your name?" the man asked, pulling the captured hand down softly almost, pressing it to the bed sheets they were sitting on.

"T-tsunayoshi…Sawada…" he answered, afraid of what might happen to him if he remained silent.

"Tsunayoshi…" Hibari drawled, tasting the sound of the boy's name on his tongue. "It's a good name…"

"W-what…are you planning to do with me?" Tsuna dared to ask, using the last of the air in his lungs to say those words. The dark haired man's malignant presence seemed to suppress all movement, suffocating him.

Hibari did not answer but merely gave a wordless sound of amusement, the ghost of a smirk dancing on his lips. In almost a gentle fashion, he loosened his hold on the boy's chin before leaning forward with movement so quick it took Tsuna completely by surprise.

He gasped, clenching his teeth together as he felt sharp canines pierce his neck for the second time that day. Eyelids sliding close, a shiver ran down his spine as he became aware of gradual energy lost once again.

He needed to get out of this situation fast before he fainted again like last time.

He knew how.

_"Ow! What was that all about?! What just happened?!" Tsuna whined, rubbing his wrist where Reborn had bit moments ago as he regained rational thought._

_"That was a taste of vampirism, Tsuna."_

_"Oh, haha. Funny," he grumbled, holding the wound in front of his face so he could look at it more carefully. He wondered if it would get in infected._

_"Stupid Tsuna, I was talking about the stuff after I bit you," Reborn chided, taking a sip from a mug of tea that was way too large for him._

_"What about it?" the brunet muttered, casting his eyes to the ceiling. He recalled the sudden sharpness of his vision, the sensitivity of his hearing and the burning hunger within him to jump out the window into the night._

_"As I've told you, Tsuna, you have the blood of the Vongola inside you, always asleep. You could call it hibernating since they will activate at random intervals in your lifetime whether you like it or not," Reborn explained, tipping the hot green tea into his mouth. "You're a special case where your vampiric cells had not attempted to eradicate the human ones."_

_"Aren't I lucky then?" Tsuna sighed, flopping onto his bed. He could still feel the exciting tingle of those starving instincts that had awoken in his body. He grimaced at the thought that they could've made him drink blood as well. After all, that's what vampires did, right?_

"_What I am about to tell you is not to be repeated or discussed with anyone other than myself, do you understand?" the little guy said grimly, setting down his cup on the desk. _

_He didn't wait for an answer._

"_Although those instincts and abilities will surface randomly, there is another way to activate them. Every vampire that exists is able to produce a natural sedation fluid that is leaked into their prey's blood stream as a way to subdue them and keep them from struggling. The amount a vampire uses is purely unique on the individual. In that sedative however is an enzyme that is capable of activating your blood if you force it to._

_"But keep this in mind, there has to be the proper amount inside of you before this reaction can take place. The only problem being is that you could be knocked out by their sedative already and the reaction won't take place. On the other hand, if their sedative fluid is too weak and does not have a lot of the enzyme in it, it won't happen either and you'd be in a lot of pain most likely. Also, this sort of effect may only last for a second before it shifts from too little to too much, so you need to recognise when that will happen. This is extremely important since you are still human enough to be drunk from and it doesn't help that you have good blood as well."_

_"But what if I don't notice it and miss it completely? Then what?" Tsuna asked, confused by the talk of enzymes and sedatives etc._

_"You only have one chance, Tsuna. If you don't take it, it might just be game over for you."_

Tsuna fought to control his erratic breathing as the blood drained out of him only to be lapped up by the eager vampire attached to his neck.

"Hmm. High quality," Hibari commented, mouthing the words on the boy's skin. Tsuna shuddered from the vibration that reverberating through his being. His mind grew fuzzy and his body grew slack. He subconsciously knew he wouldn't be able to last longer and Hibari showed no intention of releasing him any time soon.

He had to seize the chance when it came.

He must.

It was his only hope.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

If Gokudera's grip on his teacup was anymore tight, the antique pottery would shatter from the pressure. He glared irately at the clock that seemed to be ticking the seconds away slower than usual as if taunting him for his impatience.

Yamamoto who sat across him was idly toying with the stirring spoon in his, looking ready to fall asleep on the couch. In the armchair closest to and facing the fire, Reborn only stared with a dark look pondering the disturbing premonitions of what was to come, inevitably so.

Indifferent to the possible damages to the expensive cup, he bought it down on its little plate with a loud clink that most likely chipped it. The two Cervello women who stood stiffly at the sides of the door did not show signs of displeasure nor awareness, remaining vigilant and deaf to them.

The untouched tea sloshed violently over the brim, trickling onto the plate. Silence washed over the room once more, broken by the cracks and pops of the glowing flames.

Gokudera leaned back and stared upwards at the dimly lit chandelier, his mind coaxing him into a serene state. Recollections that had returned earlier that evening flooded into his thoughts.

"_Cheh! Stupid Shamal, what does he care?" Gokudera scoffed, deleting the text message off his mobile with practiced movements of his nimble fingers. He flipped it closed and shoved it into the pocket of his black trousers that stopped below his knees.__In a few years, human puberty hormones will age his body in a short amount of time, almost enough to make up for the actual maturity of his mentality. The long wait was a minor setback but then again, he didn't need to consume blood regularly yet so it was a plus for him._

_An autumn breeze fluttered by, throwing the leaves on the sidewalk to blow around his leather shoes. He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets to stave off the cold._

_Briefly, Gokudera smiled, thinking about his recent accomplishment with a glowing pride. It was impressive to be able to stowaway in an airliner without getting caught during boarding and disembarking but that paled in comparison to the fact that he was only ten years old._

_Well, he had lived for ten years this vermin-ridden planet but he still walked around in the body of a six-year-old. He mentally cursed the rather inconvenient side effect vampirism (half-vampirism in truth) had on the aging of bodies no matter the age._

_He stopped at the corner and crossed the street to where a local school was set up; its walls were old with age but sturdy and standing. A bicycle rushed by behind him, ringing its bell at him, this he ignored._

_Even as a ten-year-old in mind, Gokudera knew that his little escapade to Japan would end soon if he didn't find a good and irrevocable reason for him to stay. Otherwise, he knew, that Shamal would, begrudgingly so, eventually come and take him home to Italy all the while berating him for taking up his valuable flirting time._

_But he can't go home. It wasn't a home anymore. Not to him. Everything there was just a constant reminder that he, Hayato Gokudera, a half-blood, did not belong with his so called pure-blood family. He was after all tainted with the blood of a human which obviously made him weak, obviously made him different._

_Obviously made him abnormal._

_"Hey! Watch where you're going!" yelled an angry primary schooler with spiky black hair that he had walked into while he was caught up in his thoughts. Gokudera stared him down, or rather up as the boy was admittedly two to three inches taller._

_"Heh, look at him with the gray hair! Probably thinks it makes him cool," sneered the boy's friend who sported a buzz cut and missing front teeth._

_"Like an old man!"_

_"Old man!"_

_"And what's with the clothes? Trying to be an adult with that suit? Lame!" the boy he ran into mocked cruelly, encouraging his gaggle of friends to join in his laughter and amusement._

_The half-Italian clenched his hands into fists, tight enough for his sharp, elongating nails to pierce the soft flesh of his palm. He held back, he reasoned that these mortal children knew nothing and did not deserve his judgment or attention. He reasoned that if he actually had the advantage, the knowledge, skill and instinct to kill easily, and the dire consequences that may result if he gave in to this temptation._

_"What? Mute too? Look kind of foreign, you do. I know, you're probably one of those rich boys who fly all around the world flaunting their mom and dad's money, aren't you?"_

_"Mochida-kun…you shouldn't tease…" a little girl at the back of the crowd pleaded feebly. She fidgeted nervously, pulling at the edge of her uniform's overall skirt._

_"You're absolutely right…he'd never understand anything I say anyways!"_

_The children laughed._

_"Come on, Mochida, this is getting old, I wanna go home and read the Jump issue I didn't finish."_

_"Yeah yeah, he's boring anyways, no response at all," Mochida snorted, turning around to start walking down the sidewalk._

_As the boisterous group made their way down the street, Gokudera stayed in front of the school gate unmoving, controlling his breathing to calm his inflamed anger and disgruntlement. He was almost successful as he felt the gradual slacking of his tightly furled fists._

_"Stupid idiot's still standing there, probably trying to figure what we were saying," Mochida commented, hands clasped behind his head of dark hair. "He's really-- what's that word my mom used? Abnormal, yeah. He's totally abnormal."_

_Abnormal._

_There it was again._

_Even the human scum thought so._

_This seemed to incite something inside, a feverish feeling that bubbled over him with a dominating effect. His posture went slack as he felt the instincts of his vampirism fuelled by his pride engulf his entire being._

_He let it have its way. He no longer cared about the consequences. They deserved whatever they had coming._

_He raised his face but a centimetre so that his feral dark gray eyes should lock and target on the vanishing back of his unsuspecting prey. The nails on his fingers were as sharp and as lethal as talons. His knees bent to a slight crouch, ready to spring forward._

_His feet pushed off the ground giving him an explosive start as he moved in to strike when he collided abruptly into a small figure. They tumbled and rolled for a couple metres across the ground before falling into a tangled heap._

_"Ow…" a little voice mumbled underneath him._

_Gokudera looked down, his instincts placated by the shock to his system from the sudden disruption._

_A large, round pair of chestnut brown eyes blinked up at him._

_Another groan from the child prompted him to roll off. He jumped to his feet, frantically beating the dust and dirt that covered parts of his attire. When he deemed himself mildly presentable, he was ready to scold the boy for interrupting when he realised that he had not gotten back up._

_"Owie…" the boy sniffed, rubbing his dusty shoulder with a pout. After a couple seconds of this, he looked up through the spiky brown locks of his bangs and looked at the person he ran into._

_Gokudera opened his mouth to yell but the boy got to it before he did._

_"Ah!" he yelped, slapping his hands onto his cheeks. "Your hands!"_

_This statement confused the young half-vampire and before he knew it, his hands had been pulled forward by the wrists as he was forcibly directed into the school building._

_-o-_

"_There and there!" the little boy announced merrily, sticking on the final band-aid on the last of the half-elliptical cuts on Gokudera's hands. "All done!"_

_"…Thanks."_

_"It's not a problem at all! I'm glad that you're okay; Mochida-kun is really mean, isn't he? He always thinks he's better and knows everything 'coz he's older, but you shouldn't listen to him," the little boy advised, collecting all the plastic backings that were littered all over the teacher's desk. He threw all these in the bin next to the desk._

_"You…" Gokudera began. "You're hurt too…"_

_There were angry red scratches on the boy's forearm probably from when they collided, Gokudera must've nicked him. There was evidently a bit of blood as well._

_"It's okay. I'm fine!" he assured him, collecting the leftover band-aids that had fallen onto the linoleum floor. Gokudera took those from him and peeled off one of the wrappers, sticking it onto the scratches carefully before the younger boy could protest._

_"You…you don't think I'm abnormal or weird do you?" Gokudera found himself asking, keeping his eyes to the flesh coloured band-aid he was applying. He was surprised he had asked this, almost as if he cared what the other boy thought about him._

_"Nope," the boy replied cheerfully and at once. "Although…you are kind of pale and your hair is sort of gray…" The boy laughed sheepishly, leaning back against the wood of the table. He pulled his legs up to his chest, humming some unknown melody under his breath._

_For some reason this response disappointed Gokudera. Trust all humans to think the same way. Despicable._

"_But, you know," the boy continued with a chastened smile, his gaze wandering outside to where a tree was shedding its red leaves, "mama told me that when people grow up they can change. Like right now, I'm useless and weak and stuff but I might not be when I'm older."_

"_So," the boy paused here with a slight downcast look gracing his visage, "one day, you'll surely grow out of being weird and then you'll fit in with everyone else and not be looked down on. So for now, for now you, we should just work for that better tomorrow, right?"_

_Gokudera was quiet, processing this and the disheartening face the boy was showing. He reached forward and patted the boy on the head with his band-aid padded hand._

_The boy looked up at him in surprise._

_"I'm sure you'll grow out of being useless and weak someday. Surely," Gokudera said, ruffling the soft brown spikes with a tender motion that he didn't know he was capable of. He shared a smile with the little boy that was at the same time gloomy and hopeful, desolate and promising._

_"Ah, I forgot to close the drawer," the boy said, remembering. He clambered to his feet with the clumsiness of a child and rushed around to the other side of the desk._

_As he listened to rusty drawer creak resisting closure, he knew what he could do to stay in Japan away from his home in Italy. The boy grumbled as the drawer would not shut properly, leaning heavily against it to apply more pressure._

_He had to mark the boy._

_If he created a blood oath with the boy on the basis of diligent protection the people from back home wouldn't be able to take him away if they wanted to avoid conflict with the council on interfering with humans. Gokudera, of course, would come out scot-free for this, blaming it on the rashness and ignorance that resulted from childhood._

_It was a perfect plan._

_He could do it._

_He could do it if it was this child._

_This child who…who seemed to understand._

_"Hey!" the boy called out, plopping himself down in front of him. It seemed he got the drawer closed. "What's your name?"_

_"…Gokudera. Hayato Gokudera."_

_"So that makes you Goku-…Gokube-…Gokute-…that's kind of hard to say," the boy remarked, pouting as he stumbled over the syllables. "How 'bout I just call you Gokkun? Would that be alright?"_

_"…sure."_

_"Great!" the boy laughed, relieved. "Then you can call me what mama calls me. Tsu-kun, 'kay?"_

_"…okay…...Tsu-kun." The sound of the name was so personal, so intimate that it left an alien but nice-feeling tingle on his tongue._

_"Let's be friends, Gokkun. So we can help each other grow up and out of being useless and weird. That way if one of us gives up the other can help him back on his feet, right?" Tsu-kun said, holding out his pinky. "It'll be a promise."_

_Gokudera looked at the pinky before lifting his hand slowly, holding his out as well uncertainly. Tsu-kun hooked pinkies with him and shook it._

_"It's a promise, don't break it!"_

_"I won't."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise."_

_They shook on that as well._

The clock on the wall ticked, the sound amplified in the silence. Gokudera sat upright again full of nostalgia as he rubbed the spots where the cuts had been, where the clumsily placed Band-Aids had been applied.

"Reborn-san?"

Reborn turned his head slightly to show Gokudera that he had his attention.

"Remember that problem I had? That time Shamal came to Namimori and forced me to return to Italy. Just before you took me under your wing."

"Have. You still have the problem."

"Well," Gokudera said, relaxing into the velveteen fabric of the upholstery, "it's no longer a problem."

"What do you mean--"

The door slammed opened, startlingly the two Cervello women standing in front of it. One by one the Varia piled into the room, clouding the room's warm red colour scheme with their black clothing.

Xanxus was at the head of the group, walking directly over to the armchair by the fire where Reborn sat and said with underlying malice,

"Oi, Arcobaleno. You're in my seat."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

In the split second it happened, when the strength of his innate abnormality flooded into his system like concentrated adrenaline, he flung the man off him with all the force he could muster.

Caught momentarily off guard, Hibari flew across the room, bracing himself against to wall instinctively so as to land on his feet unharmed.

On the four-poster bed, Tsuna was low to the sheets, the sharpness of his nails ripping through the fragile fabric. He let out a low guttural growl, narrowing his brown eyes that were progressively tinting with a yellow hue.

Hibari, kneeling on tatami-matted floor next to the wall, looked upon this sudden change with utmost amusement. He got up to his feet, pausing to smooth out the wrinkles in his white button shirt.

He raised a pale hand and wiped off the thin trail of Tsuna's blood trickling down his chin, adorning a placid smirk. He locked gazes with Tsuna, navy to brown. And then he said without hesitation or surprise,

"How interesting."

A spark of excitement glinted in his eyes.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: Hahaha, sorry for taking so long. It's been quite hectic lately and I find myself coming home very lethargic especially after Socials or English…which is not a good thing considering the fact that I walk home. So many cars…D: Anyways, seeing as how I've finally figured out half the plot, and how to put Lambo and I-pin in this to boot, there won't be a whole load of waiting. I think. I love you, Hibari-san…just because :_hug_:. D: :_gets bitten to death_: It was worth it.

Beta's Note: x3 Hibari-san is definitely someone to love in this, indeed 3 I'm definitely having fun being the beta to this fanfiction. 8D This chapter was particularly fun. Tsu-kuuuun xD Why must you be so cuuuute?

**Thank you for reading once again! And if you can, review! Reviews make me feel really happy and fuzzy inside and it makes me guilty when I don't update fast enough. D:. Yes I've told you my weakness, now go exploit it. Until to next time, see you.**


	5. Hiding

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: March 16, 2008

End Date: March 20, 2008

**WARNINGS**: Possible OOCness. Haru's weirdness that cannot be understood. Pineapple alert (XD. Not really.).

_A/Ns_: Well, I seemed to have finished another chapter so let's all rejoice! Yay! I had to cut the chapter short because it growing to monstrous proportions after 7 and a half pages. I had planned more for this chapter but I don't want to slip back in my 16 pages per chapter habit as that means it'll take centuries for me to update. So you'll just have to make due with 9 and a half.

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_Akuno Hikari_: XD…that's a rather epic story about cake. Here's some more.

_Iced Candy_: Aren't they so sweet? Too bad not all children are like that and they generally don't stay that way for long. D:. No, Gokkun is remembering the face of the boy he marked. He got dragged back by Shamal and was taken in by Reborn because he couldn't officially join them yet. Having outside ties and all, you know. Hibari-san is love.

_Anave Lipid_: Unfortunately, not. D:.

_Quicksilver4_: I was going to explain Gokkun's situation in this chapter but it was…getting way too long so it'll be in the next chapter. Sorry D:. Hibari-san probably would've stopped for the sake of drinking more later, heehee. Hibari-san's situation will also be explained later when Dino-san enters the story. Tsuna was too stupid as a little kid to know anything about that. He didn't know about vampires until he entered Middle School anyways. Here's another chapter. I hope you like it!

_Lady Serena Sparrow_: No, it's more of a protection marking. The highest form of gratitude one can perform. More on that later. I leave you hanging because I have some obsession with dramatic endings and those usually mean cliffies. Haha. Not good for you though.

_chibifoxy_: Are they IC? I thought they were sort of OOC…XD. Vampire!Tsuna is just a vampiric Tsuna…he can't really control it right now. And Mukuro? Kufufu you'll find out.

_skitty-nya_: I haven't thought about putting in Basil but I figured out a way to bring him into the story, rest assured.

Thanks also to hikuto, shizouo, Tsubasa2fly, idiotlord, AnimeLuverr, littlegirlchan, monica, and wind-master-redmoon.

**(Scroll down for the story! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 4 – Hiding

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tsuna was aware of the gradual decrease in the intensity of his enhanced sense, already the clarity of his vision dimmed down to its normal degree. Nevertheless he pretended nothing had changed and slipped out a low rumbling growl.

Hibari licked his lips clean of any blood and looked out the window beside him. The pearlescent moon was at its peak. This seemed to mean something to the vampire as he let an almost dejected sigh of annoyance and strolled across the room.

Still perched in position on the bed, Tsuna tensed, following the man as he came closer and closer and…passed him.

Hibari threw open the folding door of the closet built into the wall, revealing a large amount of the same black and white ensemble arranged meticulously on hangers. From the end that was hidden by the second door, he drew out a long black coat and shrugged it on.

He turned around, meeting eyes briefly with the boy on his bed. Tsuna focused to push away the fatigue that was heavy on his eyelids. The hour of night was taking toll on his human body as the weariness seeped into his body. His posture slackened slightly. He couldn't keep bluffing for long.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Hibari reached forward to touch his face. Tsuna flinched but did not run away. Or rather, he no longer had the strength within him to do so. All he could manage was to remain sitting there, his mind's promise of sweet dreams enticing him.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said without much emotion. It was hard to tell if he meant it or not.

There was not a second to think this over as Tsuna pitched forward, the outstretched hand of the vampire firmly grasping the collar of his shirt and jerked him close with a single flex of his arm.

For a moment Tsuna was sure he had lied and was going to punish him for flinging him across the room but there was no sting of pain, no throbbing injury. There was a warm wet sensation on his neck and that was all.

In a flurry of black, Hibari was at the open window. He looked out at the moon once again, its beams illuminating his sharp but handsome features. A gentle summer breeze whistled through his jet black hair.

"Wear that to bed."

Those were his last words before he leapt out the window with only moonshine to light his path.

Left behind, touching the closed wound on his neck, Tsuna sat there long after he left staring at the open window clutching the white yukata to his lap.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Xanxus lounged indifferently in his armchair by the roaring fireplace, nursing a wineglass of warm crimson liquid in a calloused hand. He drank deeply, savouring the coppery taste.

"Oi, women," he directed towards the two Cervello standing guard at the door.

"Yes, Xanxus-sama."

"Draw the bath."

"Right away, Xanxus-sama," and the two left through the door across the room that lead to the large bath.

"What is it that you want from me, Arcobaleno?" he inquired, watching the reflected light of the flames dancing on the glass.

"You know exactly what that is, Xanxus," Reborn retorted from his position in the armchair opposite. Gokudera and Yamamoto stood at his sides wary of the other Varia members who took up the majority of the room. Their postures tensed with caution.

"Hmm, not sure what you're talking about, enlighten me," Xanxus replied, swishing the red liquid around absentmindedly. "Humour me." 

A leering smirk grew on his scarred face.

"The kid you gave to Hibari."

"What about him?"

"He was Tsunayoshi Sawada, and _you_ knew that."

"What would I care about a _pathetic_, weak little human boy?"

"Don't play with me, Xanxus. You know he's the one who took away the position you wanted. The position you wanted as the sole leader of our clan."

Xanxus' eyes widened a fraction before he let out a bellowing laugh that resounded in the stiffly silent room.

Reborn frowned at this reaction.

"Well…isn't that convenient for me then?"

Gokudera couldn't hold back any longer.

"_You bastard_! You did it on purpose! Give back the Tenth!"

"Calm d- _Gokudera_!" Yamamoto hissed, restraining the half-Italian from throwing himself at the smirking man in the armchair opposite and ripping him to bits. He himself did not like their current situation but throwing a fit was definitely off the list of things to be doing.

"_Let go_! _F_-"

"Gokudera. That's enough." 

At Reborn's words, Gokudera could only breathe raggedly, pushing down his enraged temper. His fists were ghostly white, clenched at his side.

Xanxus observed this all without a change in expression. Finally, he stood turning his head side to side to get the kinks out from the night's work. He yawned and started towards the bathroom door.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going, bastard!" Gokudera snapped, holding his position.

Xanxus ignored him and continued.

"Oi! The problem isn't resolved yet! Are you running away!"

Xanxus stopped at the door, a hand on the handle.

"Isn't that what your little boss' job is? To look after the problematic _trash_ that _we_, the _Vongola_, don't have the time to deal with?" He directed his demeaning gaze at Gokudera and Yamamoto who returned it with triple the contempt.

"_Why you_…"

"You're dismissed," Xanxus said, turning the handle and entering the baths. A cloud of steam issued from inside. The Varia members got to their feet, mumbling words of conversation to each other and exited the room.

"Reborn-san…"

"There's nothing else we can do here. Let's go home for the day."

"Little guy…"

Reborn jumped to his feet, fixing the hat to his head firmly. The yellow pacifier that hung from his neck caught the light of the dying flame in it as he walked pass the dimming fireplace.

"Don't worry. We're not giving up."

The assuredness in his voice gave them a little hope.

"It's far from over."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The sweet sound of birds twittering roused Tsuna from his deep sleep. Turning over he groaned as the sunlight bore through his eyelids, he grimaced. He rubbed his face into the silk covered mattress to escape the brightness.

Silk…

He jolted awake.

Blinking the bleariness from his droopy eyes, Tsuna could not resist stretching after a surprisingly restful night of sleep. He ran a hand through his bed hair and scrambled to get free of the blanket he had managed to cocoon himself in during his sleep. Tumbling out of bed, he walked to the window and peered outside.

The sun was high in the sky denoting that Tsuna had slept well into the afternoon.

Did he dare look down?

He let his eyes wander downward further and further until he caught sight of the base of the tower he was in. To say he was simply _high up_ was a bit of an understatement.

Feeling a little more vertigo than comfortable, he decided wisely to step away before he fell out, down and imminently to his death. He chose to snoop around his current temporary (he insisted) living quarters in the meantime.

It was traditionally furnished apart from the finely polished oak desk, leather swivel chair, four poster bed and built-in closet with folding doors. The ceiling was low with a light affixed to the centre. Off the side there was a squat table with an embroidered sitting mat on either side of it. There were no signs of personal possessions.

Tsuna shuffled over to one of the two doors that existed on the same wall. One was locked and the other opened to an elaborate bathroom. Not as big and spacious as the last one he'd been in (a memory he preferred not to recall if he could help it) but still impressive.

With nothing to do, Tsuna turned on the faucet and washed his face with cold water. The chill cleared his mind instantaneously. He groped around blindly for a towel.

Sitting on the edge of the deep ofuro tub, Tsuna contemplated his options, pressing the soft black towel to the cool skin of his face.

He could stay here and eventually face Hibari again.

Or he could try and escape.

The latter choice did not bode well for Tsuna's courage as he remembered just how high up he was. And if he remembered correctly about last night, halfway up the large tower, the building had no more windows indicating that there were no floors beneath him currently.

That or Hibari just liked the window entrance. But seeing as there were no stairs or elevators in the area (as far as he could see), he doubted that, though he couldn't rule it out completely.

Returning to the window once more, Tsuna gulped as he looked down again. He squinted but found no visible footholds he could use to climb down.

Disappointed, he slumped against the wall, pulling at the sleeves of his white yukata. The thin cloth felt nice in the mild summer weather.

_Maybe it won't be such a bad choice to stick around for a while_, he thought_. I mean, it's not like he hurt me or anything…_

He shook those naïve thoughts out of his mind. There was light fluttering near his ear. 

He jumped in surprised and turned his head to find a little round yellow bird perched on his shoulder.

It cocked its head at him curiously.

"Where'd you come from…?" Tsuna whispered, reaching up to pet it. It hopped out of the way and onto the top of his head.

The little thing settled comfortably on his head and broke out in song.

It sounded familiar.

"The school song…but how…?"

The bird hopped off his head and fluttered in a full circle before landing on the index finger of his left hand. The fluffy canary yellow feathers tickled him, as did the little bird's feet.

The bird hopped from finger to finger then paused and ruffled its feathers in a swift shudder. It bent over and pecked intriguingly at the band of silver-white metal on his pinky.

Tsuna brushed his fingers over the cold surface of the material yet he couldn't feel it on his pinky. As if it had become one with his skin. He held up the hand and peered at the white marks that curled outwards in an intricate design as though the ring as trying to cling onto him.

He tugged on it. 

It held fast.

It was a branding.

A symbol of ownership.

It wasn't right.

He stood up.

He was going to leave, go home and everything would go back to normal if it were the last thing he did.

Tsuna looked down at the perilous drop again. He swallowed and bit his bottom lip. The little round bird watched him inquisitively, waiting for his next action.

He hoped it wasn't the last thing he'd do and swung a leg over the threshold.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A shard from a shattered pane of glass crunched under the black reinforced soles of his shoes. Hibari looked around the desolate building with a sniff of distaste. The place was in ruin.

As he recalled, this was the recently established entranceway to a small neutral vampire coven. In the past week all contact with them were lost. Foul play was suspected and Hibari found the time after his work was complete to investigate.

Walking pass a moulding window, Hibari narrowed his eyes at the sunlight that shone through.

He had been out since the night before and his energy was depleting rapidly from overwork. Fortunately, his delightful little snack last evening was sufficient enough to keep him going for a while longer. Bringing that memory to mind brought the slightest of a smile to his face. 

He should fit in another snack tonight.

A clatter brought him out of his planning and he was immediately at the ready, metal tonfas flashing. His keen narrowed eyes darted across the room for the cause of the disturbance.

There was another clatter. 

He tensed, raising his arms in defence.

The empty juice can rolled across the cracked floor until it was stopped shortly by a pile of rubble not far from the base of a large chunk of concrete ceiling that had long since crumbled to the floor. An old neon-tube sign rested against it, spelling out in broken kanji and katakana, 'Kokuyou Centre'.

There was someone sitting on top of the concrete chunk.

"Oya? A visitor? What a surprise."

"Are you the one causing the trouble here?"

The man smiled almost kindly.

"And if I am?"

Hibari flashed a metal tonfa at the unknown figure with a threatening air of challenge.

"Then I'll bite you to death right here."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Kyoko-chan…are you sure we should just walk in here?" the girl with her dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail asked, tugging on the arm of the girl with the short light honey brown hair.

"I thought there would be people in here since there wasn't anyone outside…" Kyoko said, looking around at the empty lobby. "Don't worry, Haru-chan. If someone catches us, I'll just explain everything. I'm sure they'd understand."

"Why are we doing this again? I _thought_ we were going to buy cake. They're having the two for one sale _only_ today, right?"

"Don't worry; we'll have enough time to buy cake after. I just need to drop these papers off for Hibari-san," Kyoko said, indicating the plump brown paper envelope she was holding.

"I hope they'll have mille-feuille when we get there, I've been waiting all month," Haru sighed longingly as they ventured down a barren hallway with an open window at the end.

"And cream puffs too," Kyoko added.

The two girls giggled and hooked arms, making light conversation as they approached the turnoff.

"Did you hear that?" Haru asked, holding a hand to her ear.

"Hear what?"

"That!"

They grew silent and listened closely.

There was the rustling of the tree leaves. There was the strange hum of the cicadas. And then there was a small barely noticeable sound. 

A shuffling sound.

The two girls looked at each other, trying to figure out what it was.

There was another scraping noise.

They looked to the window just in time to see a bare leg step down onto the sill.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tsuna squeaked, clinging to the small indent in the wall for his life as his foot slipped from underneath. His fingers grew steadily more slippery from perspiration prompting him to quickly search blindly for another more stable foothold.

He inwardly groaned wondering whether he was out of his mind when he decided to scale down the side of a tower that was hundreds of metres high with only the clothes on his back.

A light breeze blew past, ruffling the loose ends of his yukata. He also briefly pondered why he didn't change before he started his treacherous journey downwards.

It was all too late for this now. He just hoped he was nearing the bottom soon as he didn't dare look down for fear that he'd lose his nerve and just cling to the side of the building for the rest of the day.

Finding a steady foothold, he let out a breath and proceeded to search for another with the opposite foot. Reaching downwards with the limb he pressed it against the wall only to find that it was not there.

A sensation of relief and giddiness bloomed in his stomach.

With the other foot he let it slide until it hit the top of the window frame.

Excited that his nerve-wrecking expedition has finally come to an end, he scrambled down allowing his fingers to slacken, scraping against the bumpy surface of the wall. The dull throb of pain in them was almost overlooked from the bubbly emotion in him at the moment.

He finally touched down on sill and eagerly set the other leg down. Grasping the wooden frame at the top he made to swing inside when he caught sight of two figures watching him.

Was he caught?

He froze unsure of what to do.

He searched the faces of the two people in front of him; recognition dawned upon his face mixed with surprise and utter disbelief.

"K-Kyoko-chan?" he choked out unable to believe who was standing in front of him. A face he has barely seen over the last couple years.

"…who are you?" she asked. The dark haired girl with her was hiding behind her, looking at him with suspicion.

"I-"

At that moment a particularly strong gust of wind blew by, lifting up the hem of his yukata. In a reflexive attempt to preserve his decency (though he was still wearing his boxer shorts), Tsuna pushed the fluttering cloth down thoroughly embarrassed.

He had overlooked the fact that he was using those hands to hold himself up. Thus he promptly tumbled into the hallway and landed rather ungracefully on the woven mat of the flooring.

"_Ow_…" he moaned, pushing himself to kneeling position, rubbing his knees and arms.

"Wait…" Kyoko said, kneeling so she was at eye level with Tsuna. "…Tsuna-kun?"

"Yes! It's me, Tsuna! F-from primary school. Do you remember?" Tsuna blurted out in a rush. The memories of the girl before him brought back a warm feeling of nostalgia. That fateful day someone had stolen his bento box and thrown its contents in the middle of the courtyard, Kyoko had come up to him, offering words of comfort and a share of her own lunch.

It was a small deed but it meant a lot to Tsuna who, being as useless and good for nothing as back then, had never made any friends. Even if Kyoko may not have considered him as a friend, Tsuna did, taking her words straight to his heart. He had never truly forgotten that day.

"Mmhmm! It's been a long time. Are you still attending Nami Middle School?" she inquired innocently.

"Y-yeah. I go to B branch…"

"I see."

"Yeah…"

"Ah yes," Kyoko said, recalling that she had someone with her. "This is Haru Miura. She's a friend from the All-Girl's school, Midori Middle School."

"P-pleased to meet you."

"Likewise," Haru murmured from behind Kyoko, her voice was layered with evident distrust.

Tsuna got to his feet unsteadily. He smoothed out his clothes to make himself a little more presentable.

"What are you doing here, Kyoko-chan?" Tsuna asked, itching for an answer. It was bugging him since he'd first realized who she was. This was a dangerous place for two girls (and for him as well).

"You see, Hibari-san left his papers for the Discipline Committee in the clubroom at the last meeting and didn't come back for it. Normally, brother would take care of it since he's in the same year as Hibari-san but he's been away since a month ago and he hasn't come back yet, though he was supposed to come home yesterday…you don't think…"

"I'm sure your brother is alright, Kyoko-chan," Tsuna replied. If he remembered correctly, Ryohei Sasagawa, Kyoko's older brother, was an extremely (stressing the extreme part) passionate person who lived for his boxing. He was also incredibly headstrong and had a strange way of thinking that seemed to revolve around boxing twenty-four seven.

"O-of course, because brother is the strongest person I know."

Tsuna smiled for her, glad she could think in such a way.

Off in the distance there was the sound of a sliding door being opened roughly. Angry voices could be heard.

"We better get out of here. It's not safe."

The three of them raced down the hall towards the entrance but skid to an immediate stop when they heard voices approaching them from that direction too.

They were trapped like mice.

Tsuna looked around the corridor nervously as though hoping an emergency escape would pop out of nowhere before him. The two girls hugged each other, whispering words of comfort though were tense with alarm.

Something on the wall caught his eyes.

It was a fusuma sliding door.

Without hesitations of where it would lead to, he grabbed hold of the round indented door handle and pulled it open. He reached back to take hold of Kyoko's arm and dragged them in with him. By the time he got the door to close, the voices had entered the hallway accompany with multitudes of heavy footsteps.

"Where are they?"

"Not over here."

"Someone go shut off the silent alarm!"

"_Damn_! They just keep coming one after another!"

"This one's probably a rescue team for the first guy we caught a couple hours ago. They'll be more vigilant and wary of us. We should be more careful about how we go about finding them."

"We'll go back to the dungeons and finish interrogating the prisoner, see if he will spill any information about our little intruders, weaknesses and such."

"Good thinking. We'll continue searching."

"Okay, everyone! Move out!"

There was a synchronized shout of agreement before they vacated the area in a barrage of trampling feet.

When the last thump of a footstep faded away down the corridor, Tsuna held his breath in apprehension, crawling over, inched the fusuma open and peered out.

There was no one in sight.

He breathed and sat back relieved they had not been caught. He turned around and squinted into the darkness of their hiding spot.

They appeared to be in some sort of closet, one side was jammed full of brooms, mops and pails while above their heads hung dozens of black jackets that looked remarkably similar. The matted floor was bare except for several half-empty liquid detergent bottles and a couple of plastic jugs with loose spray nozzles.

"Tsuna-kun…what's going on?" Kyoko whispered from beside a pile of metal buckets. The thin strip of light that filtered in reflected off her light brown eyes filled with concern and unease.

"I…I'm not sure. It seems they caught someone sneaking in earlier...but I didn't hear anything…we should stay in here for a bit…just to make sure they don't come back," Tsuna suggested, closing the door again with a muffled snap.

They sat in silent darkness for a while each pondering their situation and their next move.

"Tsuna-san…is it?" a voice whispered from the darkness. It was Haru who had finally spoken up again.

"Yes…?"

"What…what were you doing here in the first place? You said you didn't hear anything earlier…"

"What are you talking about, Haru-chan?"

"Kyoko-chan, he might be a spy! If he was here earlier and they weren't trying to catch him, he must be on their side!" Haru hissed under her breath.

"What! No! I was trying to escape!" Tsuna countered, finding this turn of events unbelievable.

"Don't deny it! How would you explain climbing in through the window so casually!"

"Why would a normal person be climbing around outside anyways! You weird girl!"

"Hahi! Haru is not a weird girl!" she sniffed, slipping into third person. "Take that back! You could've been searching for us on the roof!"

"I will not! And there is no roof; I was coming from Hibari-san's room!"

"…Hibari-san's room?"

Tsuna was stumped. Why did he have to go and say that?

Haru looked at him oddly and appeared to be examining him comprehensively. There was a suspecting pinched look on her pouting face.

Then her features changed into an expression of understanding and of shock.

"Hahi! You're-you're one of th-those people who-who…" she stuttered, her face reddening.

"One what?"

"Those people who get paid to do indecent things!" she blurted, holding her arms to her chest. Tsuna's eyebrow twitched irritably.

"What part of me looks like one of th-_those kind of_ people!" Tsuna yelled quite embarrassed by this outcome.

"Everything!"

"What are you-!" Tsuna paused in mid retort and thought about for a sec, remembering his reflection in the mirror earlier that afternoon. 

His hair was still messy from rolling around in his sleep. He was only wearing a thin summer yukata that was pretty loose right now from all the climbing and jumping into closets. He probably still had the red mark on his neck where Hibari had bit him yesterday night.

He must look relatively ravished to a bystander.

"L-look, you've got it all wrong, it just looks-"

"Don't think you can lie to me!" Haru interrupted vehemently. "People like you only tell lies, being willing to do those…" she grew even more red, "those indecent things l-like…_pouring tea_! And-and the folding clothes and-and the vacuum and the Master and the little apron!"

"…I think you're mixing this up with a maid." _What is wrong with this girl?_

"Don't contradict me! I know what I'm talking about you skirt-wearer!"

"I'm not wearing a skirt!"

"Not right now! But I bet you were earlier!"

"You're crazy!"

"Haru is not crazy!"

Caught in the midst of this verbal battle, Kyoko tried desperately to calm her two friends down but her words were unheard.

"I do not look like a cute girl! Take that back--" Tsuna was cut short as the sliding door he was leaning on slid open and he fell back with a squeak.

"Someone find the Vice, it seems we've caught ourselves a couple of little mice."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: XD. I love Haru. She and her strange thinking and…strange everything makes me giggle all the time. Her random use of English words is cute too but that isn't shown here as this fic is in English, which kind of defeats the point if I tried. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. I seem to have a liking to dramatic scene endings.

_Beta's Note_: I'd like to borrow Fishie's Voice Three now, please. All I can say: lol. (Attention: Voice Three, originally the authoress' Voice Three has recently returned to her owner.)

**Thank you very much for reading. Please drop off any reviews consisting of comments, suggestions, complaints etc. as it guilt trips the authoress into writing to please her readers. See you all next time.**


	6. Disputing

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: March 23, 2008

End Date: April 24, 2008

**WARNINGS**: Possible OOCness.

_A/Ns_: Gaaaaaah!! I'm so sorry, readers, for abandoning you for so long! ;A;. After procrastinating the whole of spring break, I had this giant workload from school although it evened out starting last week… I tried to write this extra long but Yama's part in the story made a complete random turn and the scene stretched way longer than intended so a scene at the end that would've made it NOT a cliffhanger was excluded for the sake of the beta. I apologize once again for such a long wait. ;A;. I bet I lost all my readers by now.

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_Akuno Hikari_: Thank you! I'm glad you love my writing too! Do you love it enough to forgive the fact that I didn't update in so long? Do you? Do you?! :_whimper_:

_IcedCandy_: Yes, it's true! It's Mukuro, Kufufu but you won't get to see him for a long while again. He gets a nice major part later.

_Quicksilver4_: Oh yeah, Haru is going to get into that stage when they show up next time. Reason is in this chapter. Only Tsuna can tell the truth and still come out as a liar. XD. But that's why we love him so much. His incompetence at just about everything makes you want to coddle him and hand-feed him chicken soup. Mukuro is good-evil in this one though he may not seem like it much but yeah, Mukuro without evil is like Mukuro without pineapple hair (does that even count as a legitimate comparison?). Lol! You're right about the Rapunzel thing, when I thought back to it I realized that too…XD. Now we just need Tsuna to grow sexy long hair. Kyoko and Haru don't know about vampires just like they are oblivious in the original. I'm trying to keep everyone in character that way. D:. I was keeping you from your exams?! That's horrible of me! They are over now, right? Don't read this until you are! Oh my god, this reply is so freaking long.

_Yaoi.4.Joo_: XD I'm sorry it isn't 8027 and I tried to put some in this chapter…but Yama technically only met Tsuna once so it's hard to build on that. They'll have a scene together later in the story though.

_made4u_: Thank you! There will be 6927 action later that are borderline 182769. XD, there's no chain manhandling even if it's…hawt. D:. Yup, Chrome will be in this story.

Thanks also to AnimeLuverr, TheStalker, Anave Lipad, …(anonymous), Wayra, RuByMoOn17, chibi foxy, monica, JiaeR, wind-master-redmoon, mertime, Inchan, AC, and all the other lovely people who favourited and alerted this story!

**(Scroll down for the story! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 5 – Disputing

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tsuna winced as he was thrown roughly into the dank cell headfirst. He skidded shortly to a stop, rubbing at the parts of his body that were manhandled. Two more figures were shoved in after him and the barred door slammed shut with a reverberating metallic clang that shook the walls consisting only of sturdy iron bars. The large key clicked in the lock loudly as if signaling the finalization of their sentence.

Kyoko pushed Haru gently towards the moth-eaten bed that jutted out of the wall, supported only by the two thick chains on either side of it, which creaked as they sat upon it. Haru let out a sniff that did not hide the stress and emotion she was suppressing.

"It's going to be alright, Haru-chan. I'm sure it's just a mistake," Kyoko whispered soothingly, clasping the other girl's shivering hands in hers. Her face was paler than usual. "Right, Tsuna-kun?"

"R-right," Tsuna agreed, hoping he sounded as convincing as he hoped.

"It's no use! We're going to be left here and they'll forget all about us and we'll get all old and moldy and no one will find us for decades! I hope my bones will still be there for them to find…" Haru griped hysterically, leaning against her friend's shoulder.

"Don't say that, Haru-chan! We have to stay optimistic!" the honey-brown haired girl urged with faltering support. In the dim lighting, Tsuna could see that she looked close to tears herself.

"That's right. We can't give up now…someone will surely find us, surely," Tsuna tried, twiddling his fingers as he fibbed. He looked away so they could not search his face for deceit.  
"…Really?" came Haru's wavering voice that was thick with what could only be fear.

"Yeah, you bet…" He waited for her berating for lying.

"N'kay…" she said softly to his surprise.

"At-at any rate, we should see if we can get out anyhow, there might be stuff in here that can help us escape," Tsuna added, jumping to his feet with a jitter. Hurriedly he paced around the small cell, glancing without looking at the nooks and niches of the whole area.

There was only a rank wooden bucket in a corner, a chipped (and empty) water jug by the door and a couple of concrete fragments that had crumbled from the single aged wall.

The damp, bumpy floor scraped at Tsuna's unprotected bare feet and he soon gave up his little charade of finding means of escape. He moved to sit on the bench bed as well.

Seeing him approach, Haru nudged Kyoko over to make some room for him to sit.

With a grateful smile that caused Haru to avert her gaze, he sat down.

As it seemed to be, the chains were extremely old and snapped under their combined weight, sending them all to the ground.

"Ah!" they cried in a yelp of utter surprise as their seat gave away under them. Tsuna pitched backward and banged the back of his head against the wall. His vision flashed as a sharp pain bloomed at the collision point.

Dimly, he was aware of the moans of obvious pain his companions were emitting but there was another sound mixed in with it all.

CLANG went the bars of cell wall.

The sound was dull and muffled but it sounded again.

CLANG.

There was a pause, miniscule sounds of shuffling and breathing.

Another CLANG.

Curious but alert, Tsuna turned to exchange wordless glances with the two girls who were already eagerly approaching the densely placed bars.

Joining them, the brunet peered through the gaps. The bars rattled in his hands.

In the second cell a bound figure (cuffed and bound with rope around the ankles) was ramming the door with the whole of his body over and over. It didn't look like he'd stop any time soon but just as this thought crossed his mind, the stranger shifted to look at them, suddenly aware of their presence.

Kyoko clapped a hand to her mouth with a gasp.

"Y-you're-!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Yamamoto fidgeted restlessly on the soft genuine leather of the sofa in the office. The air was thick with cigarette smoke that swirled in clouds on the ceiling, steadily growing denser. Raising a hand to his mouth, he coughed for the umpteenth time.

"Um…Gokudera, would you mind opening a window or something? It's a little overwhelming in here."

"Shut up! I'll do what I want! Who are you to judge me?!" Gokudera barked, propped against a wall. His hands trembled slightly as he readjusted the smoking stick in his mouth. His dark gray eyes darted from side to side in an unsettled frenzy.

"I'm not saying anything like that. I just thought that a little fresh air would be good-"

"So you think you're the hotshot now, huh?! Just because you don't understand anything that's going on, you think you can start saying whatever you like! You just don't understand what is at stake here!"

"You're not the only one that cares about Tsuna, Gokudera!" Yamamoto retorted, uncharacteristically loud. His frown and knitted brow disclosed the concealed discontent and anger within him.

"The both of you, stop it. This is neither the time nor place for petty quarrels," Reborn interrupted, perched on the windowsill. He nudged the window open to let in the fresh breeze; the pungent smoke wafted outside gradually.

Grinding his teeth, Gokudera pulled the short stub by the filter and jammed it into the overflowing ashtray. With twitchy movements he searched his jacket for the pack only to find that he had smoked most of it in the couple hours they had waited. Pulling out one of the last two, he bit onto the end, rummaging for his lighter. After a few clicks with fruitless results, he flung the lighter to the ground where it clattered, sliding under the desk.

Yamamoto watched all this with solemn eyes that understood the reason behind such actions.

The day and the night before held nothing but disappointment after disappointment and despite Reborn's reassurance that they could still do something, they were evidently filled with dread and hopelessness.

All they did was wait, wait and then wait some more. Nothing had been accomplished.

It felt like they were trying to put off the inevitable of realizing that there really was nothing they could do.

It wasn't something a guy like Yamamoto would feel; this desolate, numbing sensation. Anyone who knew him knew he would just shrug off something like this and change the topic to baseball or sushi.

Anything that he could easily talk about in a happy tone.

He was the brotherly figure.

The one that people leaned on when they needed a shoulder.

The one that people relied on when things got difficult.

_Yes, 'was' is the right word_, he thought grimly.

His lips pressed together into a thin line.

Ever since that night, life had never been the same. He shouldn't have stayed later to practice his swings. There was hardly any merit in it other than the fact that he'd be more exhausted by the time he'd get home. He probably would've collapsed before he got to the front door.

Come to think of it, he couldn't quite put his finger on the reason he had stayed. It was strange that he'd forget, almost as if there wasn't a reason at all.

He shook his head, slapping his face a couple times to knock some sense back into himself.

He was thinking too much into it.

With a sigh heavy with fatigue, he rubbed his eyes that didn't feel as heavy as they normally would given he had been awake for more hours than a normal human could handle without feeling the slightest bit of disorientation.

The smoke that hung in the space just below the ceiling was thinning out now. Just like the fluffy white clouds of that late afternoon against a backdrop of heart-warming orange and smudges of pastel purple.

He was just about to pack up when it happened.

The details were blurry in his memory. He recalled the sound of something colliding with the metal fence, rattling the whole of it and then laboured breathing a hairbreadth away. He felt the sudden dark presence upon him and afterwards there was only pain and the loss of consciousness.

He did not know how much time had passed, for when he awoke he was in a place quite unfamiliar to him. It was a sealed, windowless room furnished with only a hospital bed and a small bedside table. The light affixed to the pristine ceiling glowed too dimly to see any details but he felt the drip fixed to his wrist.

It was too peculiar to be a normal hospital. The wrenching feeling in his gut told him so.

When the door opened to admit several men, some in full black and a few in white who looked to be doctors of some sort, he jolted up from resting position for a reason that escaped him.

In a matter of minutes he had wrenched the needle out of his wrist, the sterilized adhesive stuck to him serving as a supplementary bandage. He barreled into the group, knocking most to the ground and made a mad dash out.

The corridor was dank and dark, winding onwards for an eternity until he glimpsed the beginnings of a stairway. Ignoring the protests echoing towards him from behind, he raced up the stairs with a speed that was alien to him, almost causing him to smash into the closed door at the top.

The more he jiggled the jammed doorknob the more concerned the voices sounded, but he didn't care. Every single part of him screamed for escape, for open space and freedom.

In his desperation to leave, he slammed against the door with his shoulder and to his utter surprise it gave away completely. He stumbled into the ground level hallway that was lined from one end to the other window.

But that wasn't what he noticed first.

It was the sunlight.

It was too bright.

Too intense.

He clenched his eyes shut and covered his face with a screech but it was too late. The hypersensitivity of his night eyes burned with the feel of sunshine.

While he was writhing in agony on the ground doing all he could to keep himself from scratching his own eyes out, the men must've caught up to him.

They descended upon him like vultures, pecking at him with their thin, long fingered hands. They held him down and contained him. All the while he heard nothing; the world had turned silent from the first scream.

He spent many days, weeks even, in complete darkness. The raspy voiced doctor told him it would return to him as they would heal at their own pace. When he could feel that no one was around (something that was very weird and surreal to him), he'd slowly unwrap the thick layer of bandages that hid his eyes. He knew he was back in the room where the light wouldn't reach him.

Every time he got to the last layer, he paused and held onto a speck of hope that he would be able to see just a little, a fuzzy outline even. He'd blink his eyes to make sure they weren't closed and he'd turn his head to look around but there was nothing.  
He knew too well that the doctor was aware that he was doing this but he was never reprimanded for such behavior. He just did the routine check up, changed the bandages and brought fresh clothes everyday.

Truth be told, he did regain his sight and once he did fully, he felt the urge to leave again. The men came to visit him, probably informed of his recovery.

They told him things he didn't understand, things he didn't care to hear so he didn't listen. This scenario was like a dream, something that comes out of a television show. And he thought that all he had to do was find the remote and change the channel. Better yet, he could just turn it off and go outside away from it all.

He let them take him to a different place where there was light which no longer burned with the intensity it did the first day he woke up. He let them lecture him on things he didn't hear and outright told them so in his usual manner.

Maybe it was just a game, he had thought. Maybe it was just a great big hoax the guys on the team cooked up and he'd meet up with them later and have a nice laugh about it. Maybe.

They reassigned him apparently and he was escorted that afternoon via dim narrow alleyways to a large building in a westernized section of the town. People that wandered there were scarce at the time and those who did, stuck to the shade, emitting an ominous feeling as they hurried by.

The ancient and regal feeling the skyscraper gave off was mysterious but he felt like there was something to be accomplished there. He didn't know what it was but he regarded the premonition as strongly as he did a duty.

It was shortly after then, did he meet Tsuna.

Yamamoto's smile was bittersweet.

Thinking he had finally reached normal, familiar civilization he was dragged down by a terrible sense of hunger that exceeded starvation just before death. Like a horrid beast within him, it thrashed and moaned for something he didn't know.

He surely would've died that time or would've committed the most terrible of crimes if the ferocious instincts had taken over.

But Tsuna, amazingly selfless to a stranger such as himself, offered him exactly what he desired in his time of need. Even though the small brunet was shivering from terror, he still willingly placed his life in the hands of a monster, well aware of the consequences.

Seeing someone so humane and ordinary understand his situation when he himself was desperately ignoring its existence was enough for him to realize that it was no longer a game.

No, it was never a game to start with.

What Tsuna had done for him that day was something he would never be able to pay back fully even if he had several lifetimes to fulfill it.

Because he couldn't have done what Tsuna did for himself.

Because he would've pushed aside his suspicions despite the evidence before his eyes.

Because he wouldn't have understood how to help himself.

Because he wouldn't have been capable of saving himself.

Not with the attitude he had before.

Yamamoto closed his eyes, breathing deeply. The air was clear now with only traces of the burnt tobacco lingering in each inhale.

The moment he had regained his mind and realized just what had happened and what he had done, he swore that he'd pay the kid back tenfold no matter how long it took.

Yet now, just a day passed and he had let him down. He hadn't even known him for long. Hell, he barely even spoken to him save the couple of minutes before he buckled to the will of his new vampiric instincts.

He felt the failure weigh upon him and he knew the other two in the room were feeling the same way.

Next time, he would keep his promise with his life.

He was dimly aware of the disgruntled noises Gokudera was making as he attempted to reclaim his lighter from underneath his desk.

A breeze came in through the window and rustled the long curtains.

If there was a next time.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Big brother!"

"Kyoko?" the bound figure grunted, furrowing his brow in an attempt to scrutinize the girl through bars.

"Big brother! It's really you! What are you doing here? Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?" Kyoko babbled, pressing against the bars more and more as though she could get closer to her brother if she did.

"Yeah! I'm great! Just a little tied up, beat up, chained up and locked in a cell at the moment but everything's been great! To the extreme!" he confirmed with a roar of fiery determination, hopping over to the wall of vertical bars.

"Uh…right," Tsuna said, mildly concerned with the extra parts in his sentence. "What were you trying to do just now? If I may ask."

"Hmm? Who are you? Did you get lost too?"

"Lost?"

"Yeah! I got lost following my master's directions and ended up here! I met some strong guys so I tried to recruit them for my club even though it's already summer but they would make up a great line up for next season! I guess they refused though."

"Um…" Tsuna was rather speechless at this explanation. At least he could confirm that this was really Ryohei Sasagawa they were talking to.

"Master, big brother? What's that about?" Kyoko inquired, cocking her head curiously to the side.

"Ah, that, well! I met a great man at the sumo tournament! Very great man! He taught me many great things! He gave me directions to a branch of his school in Namimori and I guess I must've read them wrong! Yeah!"

_What an absurd lie_, Tsuna thought inwardly.

"Eh? Really? It sounds like you had a wonderful time, big brother! I'm really happy for you," Kyoko replied with genuine emotion. "Oh, I don't think you've been formally introduced. This is Tsunayoshi Sawada-kun. He used to go to Primary school with me. Now he goes to Nami B, the same building you go to, big brother."

"Really?! Sawada! You!" he exclaimed with flames lit in his eyes.  
Tsuna swallowed hard and dared to ask, "Yes…?"

What if he suspected that he'd done something to Kyoko? He'd never live it down.

"Join the boxing club! Right now!"

Tsuna didn't know if he should be relieved or shocked.

"Uh…I don't think that's my sort of thing…"

"Nonsense! Join the club, Sawada!"

"Y-you see, I'm no good with physical stuff like that-"

"You're a man, aren't you, Sawada?!" he bellowed, wiggling closer yet still managing to stand upright.

"Y-yeah?"

"A man will do anything with extreme effort! That way he can accomplish anything! To the extreme! If you're a man, you can do it! Now what do you say?!"

"I, uh, well-"

At that very moment, the thick metal door that led to the dungeons rattled to an open, interrupting their conversation.

Around the corner came a group of the guards (consisting of Disciplinary Committee members) escorting another man in a black trench coat.

"Hibari-san!" Tsuna exclaimed, rushing to the barred wall at the front. The group stopped short of his cage and started muttering under their breath to their leader.

"These are the intruders, sir."

Hibari, with the hood of the long coat pulled well over his head, took a step closer to the other cell. His face was covered in heavy shadows even with the terrible lighting. His gaze panned over to the second cell where he paused to consider the trio inside now standing in a tight, defensive huddle.

"Bring the boy back to my chambers."

"What shall we do with the others, sir?"

Hibari didn't waste a moment to contemplate at all, exhibiting his heartlessness.

"Kill the eyesores where they stand."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"They're late," Reborn remarked as he watched the last sliver of the orange sun disappear under the horizon. Heavy hearted, he hopped down from his perch without spilling a drop of the cold tea in his cup.

His two companions were silent and grim. Hours upon hours had passed without a remark from them.

"Hey, little guy?"

"Hmm?"  
"Who exactly are we waiting for?" Yamamoto inquired, unclasping his hands in his lap. "How will he be able to help us?"

"Glad you ask," Reborn said, hopping onto the sofa's arm. "We're actually waiting for four people."

"Four?" Gokudera chipped in anxiously. He had calmed down an hour after the last cigarette and had remained motionless since then, deep in thought.

"Yes. Two of them will be escorting the other two who will be able to help us. Well, one of them will be useful at any rate. It's a relief that I was able to contact them on such short notice."

"Would you mind telling us a little more, little guy? Who are these guys and what can they do for us that we can't?"

"That,' Reborn said with a smirk, 'is something you'll find out when you meet them."

"What? Oh come on, little guy! That's not nice, you leaving us hanging here!"

"Hey! Speak for yourself, you idiot!"

"You understand who he's talking about then, Gokudera?"

"W-well, not to the full extent…but I have my suspicions! Hey! I don't like that face you're making! You don't believe me, do you!"

"I never said I didn't!"

"It's written all over your face! I can tell!"

Reborn smiled at their argument and turned to face to the open window again. The sky was bleeding into a dark navy blue. The moon would be in view soon.

"You'll know when they come…if they come."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"What?!"

"You can't do that!"

"Oi, Hibari! What's the meaning of this!!"

"Hibari-san! Wait!" Tsuna called out, pressing hard against the metal bars.

Hibari who was turning to leave paused in mid-step but did not turn around.

"How…how can you do such a thing?! They haven't done anything wrong! Why are you k-punishing them for no reason?! Answer me!"

Hibari turned around and met eyes with Tsuna who surprisingly was able to stare back with fiery resolution blazing in his soft brown eyes. When Hibari finally broke the gaze, he let out a mildly exasperated breath before saying,

"Release the prisoners."

The men who had entered the two cells halted in their advances, looking back at their leader with confused expressions. Kyoko and the others sighed with relief.  
"Do as you're told!" Kusakabe ordered, tossing a ring of keys to the men in Ryohei's cell. They caught it deftly and started to sort through them for the appropriate one.

Tsuna exchanged happy, reassured smiles with the two girls who were being beckoned out through the open door. He followed after them, feeling the tension leave his body weak and exhausted.

"Ah! Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko said, recalling something. Just about to walk up the stairs, she whirled around and pressed the thick manila envelope into his arms. "Please give this to Hibari-san."

"We came all this way, the least we can do is finish the job, right? Please, give him my regards," she said, her smile genuine and delicate. The colour was returning to her skin.

"Um, yeah. I'll do that," Tsuna said automatically. "Take care!"

"You too! Bye, Tsuna-kun!" she called out as she hurried up to where Haru and her brother were waiting.

"Bye, Sawada!"

"Bye…"

And then they were gone.

It was only Tsuna and Hibari who remained in the dungeon. The tension between them was thick and heavy.

Tsuna swallowed hard and took a deep breath before turning for the inevitable confrontation. Hibari had not moved from his position since he last spoke. He could not clearly see his expression from where he stood.

"Do you have something to say? Or are we going to stand here all day, Tsunayoshi?" he asked in a low, somber voice. His name sounded strange coming from the other man enough to send a shiver down his spine.

"How could you be so cruel…?"

"In killing them?"

"Yes! That's so-…so inhumane!" Tsuna stuttered, unable to find the word he was looking for.

"There's nothing human about me," Hibari countered.

It was true, he wasn't.

"But still…is that all we are to you? Eyesores? Tell me the truth, Hibari-san. Please."

He didn't know what possessed him to ask that. He had no desire to hear the reasons for such wrongdoings. Just the thought that he could decide such a thing repulsed him. And he thought he had seen a little good in him the night before.

"In life, the line between those who live and those who die is well defined. Carnivores prey on the weak herbivores that are doomed to a short life full of perils. What does it matter if they meet their deaths a little earlier?"

"Is that how you see me too?! Am I just another weak, insignificant human in your eyes?!" Tsuna yelled, clenching his hands into his yukata. He could feel angry tears prickling the corners of his eyes as he spoke.

"You're special."

"Like hell I am! I'm hardly any different from Kyoko-chan and the others! Why didn't you tell them to kill me too?!" Tsuna choked, his voice was getting thick and emotional. Hibari remained unmoved by his display of inherent distress and fury. "Being so useless…I will probably die soon then…"

Tsuna bit his lip and sniffed, averting his eyes to the grimy uneven floor. The pent up anger welled up in his chest was deflated from all the yelling. His erratic breathing began to even out.

"That's why…I'll take care of you."

"Eh?"

Out of the blue, he felt the weight of Hibari pressed against his shoulder as he collapsed, pitching forward in his last efforts to remain upright. Unable to withstand the extra burden, Tsuna fell to the ground painfully.

"Ow…"

He rubbed his side, blinking away the tears that were still creeping out. Looking down, he spotted Hibari pinning down his legs with his dead weight.

"H-hey! Are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked, trying to turn Hibari over whose face was buried in his lap. Being as weak as he was, Tsuna's efforts were ineffectual.

The sight of the motionless body incited panic in him as he shook the unconscious man by the shoulders.

"Hibari-san! Wake up! This isn't funny!" Tsuna yelled, pausing to wipe away the wetness on his cheeks. He felt something smear across his face as he did so.

With quivering hands he looked at his palms with a foreboding premonition.

They were covered in blood.

Hibari's blood.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: Oh my god, I'm so mean for leaving you guys hanging there with such a crappy ending. I'm so sorry! ;A;. I come back after so long and this is what I give you! I'm so sorry! So utterly sorry! Hibari-san!! :_whimpers_: I suppose some good news (or bad news) would be that the next chapters will be easier to write because it's going to be super condensed 1827 fluff. Hopefully I don't take another 4 weeks to get another chapter out.

_Meru's Beta Note_: Just a few grammatical errors to fix up, since Ankaris decided to make me the rebound girl. ;-; She let Yam beta first. /3 –Sulksulksulk.- Anyway. Nothin' else needed fixing that I could see. I might have missed somethin'. Dunno if I did. o-o Omnomnomnom.

_Yam's Beta Note_: Minor present/past tense errors...the writing has improved so much over the...past two years, so all I have to do is fix nitpicky stuff . I LIKE YAMAMOTO, NOT JUST 'CAUSE OF THE YAM PART.

**Thank you for reading! Please file all complaints about the dissatisfying services of this authoress' in your reviews. She'll get back to you as soon as the next chapter is finished. She deeply apologizes for the inconvenience.**


	7. Recovering

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: April 24, 2008

End Date: May 28, 2008

**WARNINGS**: Possible OOCness. Return of the Pineapple! Fluff. Weirdness…?

_A/Ns_: Ack, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's been like…a month. ;-;. I'm so sorry. Please feel free to hit me in the shoulder. Right one preferably. Don't let me keep you from reading. Go ahead. But one more thing. :_fangirls over TYL!Hibari-san_: Oh my god…Hibari-san…animated…

Thank my two beta's who were both online the moment I finished writing this for this update.

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_Akuno Hikari_: S-stop praising me so much. :_flustered_: 'A' I'm such a terrible person keeping you waiting and I'm absolutely positively sure there is a better 1827 (or any other) fic out there. "_Your fic is like a beacon of light in my dark abyss of a life, blessing me with wonder of light_." What is this, a pick-up line? Is it?!

_Quicksilver4_: Yay! Your exams are (were) over! But mine are just beginning (oh dears). You got it in one, Ryohei indeed has to do with vampires and his master is Colonello. He'll be playing a part later in the story. About Yama, he was bitten by a renegade vampire that used him as to delay the Vongola that were chasing him. I'll elaborate on that later. Tsuna just has that tendency to make 'friends' who are sweet on him. Hahaha. You know, I bet Hibari-san really is a vampire. In secret. Maybe. I tried my best to keep them in character so I'm pleased you thought that way (and yeah, he probably, maybe, will kill you for saying that). You'll find out the fate of Hibari-san in this chapter and then it's onto the fluff! And I don't mind your ramblings. I love them! Ramble more! (Except it results in giant blocks of unreadable replies like this.)

_jime D_: Uh…um…I think I'd be too embarrassed to write something like that…ahaha. :_flustered_: A-at any rate, this will remain mostly fluff and shounen-ai.

_Sparkling-Ruby Gem_: I'll try to get some 8059 in it where I can though it'll a tad difficult considering how the story is supposed to progress…(but then again nothing is going according plan as the story changes as I write it…) I'm sorry that the prologue is so misleading. What a way to start a 1827 story, hmm? With a snippet of 8027 to start it.

And also lots of love and thanks to Wayra, RuByMoOn17, JiaeR, wind-master-redmoon, Estrella85, monica, fishing line, chibi foxy, Silver Star Celine, Prettypearls, nachan, and Devil Hinata.

**(Scroll down for the story! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 6 – Recovering

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tsuna sat stiffly on the leather swivel chair that he had pushed to the bedside. From there he observed the man he knew as the vice-president of his school's Disciplinary Committee calmly loading the metal first aid kit with spare bandages and disinfectant.

On the four-poster bed dressed in silk midnight black pyjamas, Hibari laid in a deep sleep, thickly swathed in white bandages. Against the equally raven coloured sheets and quilt, his complexion was deathly pale, more so than usual. If not for the barest rising in his chest whenever he took a breath, he hardly looked any different from a dressed up corpse.

The mere thought got on Tsuna's unsettled nerves.

"Don't worry," Kusakabe said out of the blue, causing Tsuna to start. "Most of the blood came from surface wounds but he'll have to be wary of his ribs and arms for a while. Got himself quite the collection of bone fractures though, so I would appreciate it if you would inform him of such when he wakes up."

Tsuna digested this information quietly. Despite it all, he still wondered why Hibari had listened to him when he spoke out against his decision. He wondered if perhaps it was a sudden realization on Hibari's part.

No, that didn't seem characteristic of him. Not the merciless, cold blooded Hibari who was infamous for his swift and unconventional verdicts.

_"That's why…I'll take care of you."_

Tsuna blinked as he recalled Hibari's last words.

What exactly did he mean by that? Surely it was in some metaphorical sense, or perhaps in a completely different context...

His train of thoughts was derailed by the return of Kusakabe who had left to fill a basin with water which he set on the work desk after nudging the stacks of forms to make adequate space. He lifted the ash coloured face towel hanging from his arm and folded it twice, placing it in front of the basin.

All the while, Tsuna watched him work curiously.

"I suspect he'll be feverish in a while, so if you don't mind it, please cool him down with the towel. I'm afraid I can't stay and watch him for much longer. Can I entrust that duty to you?" he inquired, thumbing through several of the forms on the desk.

"O-of course," Tsuna answered, shifting in his seat so he could face him despite the fact that the chair could've easily been turned in that direction. "But…why…?"

_Why trust me?_

Kusakabe smiled and pulled out one of the forms from the pile, folding it to place in his jacket pocket.

"You're a good kid, Sawada-kun."

"Eh? Um-"

A bell tolled in the distance.

"Sorry, I have to go now. I hope I am right in leaving Kyou-san's well being in your hands," he said, turning to the closed window. He flicked the latch into the unlocked position and slid the frame open; the evening breeze escaped inside, bringing a slight chill to the inhabitants.

Tsuna tightened his grip on the top of the leather chair's back before realizing it was Hibari's long black coat he had donned the other night. Gingerly, he lifted one of the arms of the jacket, feeling the crispness of the dry cleaned fabric. It was peppered in cuts and slashes.

He traced the edges of the tears with light thoughtful fingertips before snapping his head upwards to see Kusakabe hop onto the window sill.

"W-wait a moment!"

Kusakabe turned his head to look at him in position to jump.

"Uh…if it isn't too much trouble…could you…later…" Tsuna mumbled mildly embarrassed at his outburst, "could you bring some…"

He broke off, lifting the arm of the tattered jacket as though it would speak for him.

Kusakabe seemed to comprehend what he was trying to get at for he nodded in understanding.

"Good Night."

"G-good Night," Tsuna replied politely, inclining his head as the other man leapt from the building and into the night.

Realizing something else that had slipped his mind, Tsuna clambered out of the chair, tripping on his feet in his haste. He rushed to the window and leaned as far out as he dared.

"Thank you!" he called out to the descending black figure down below. It seemed like a futile effort as his words were probably lost to the wind but it made something settle in Tsuna.

Raising his head to gaze at the moon's pale grace, Tsuna remembered the duty entrusted to him and slid the heavy window to a close. He fumbled with the latch momentarily before returning to the bedside.

Minutes passed, hours even, nothing had changed; Hibari hardly made a movement as the time passed. Tsuna must've been staring all too intensely at his patient for he fell into a daze that could only be a product of the hour of night. Notwithstanding the fact that he had slept well into the afternoon, his mind urged him to rest at the proper hour.

Somehow, just barely, he was able to train his vision solely on Hibari's face in case that he, well, Tsuna didn't really know what he was looking for.

Time stretched unbearably long until Tsuna was broken out of his half-daydreams when he saw the red tinge to Hibari's complexion. Hurriedly he sat up from his slumped position on the sheets and scrambled to the middle of the bed. Laying a hand on Hibari's forehead, he was instantaneously aware of the feverish temperature of his skin.

Without delay, he returned to the desk, taking the folded face towel and dunking it in the cool water. He wrung the towel as dry as he could and clambered back onto the bed. Carefully he set the refolded towel on the pale man's burning forehead whose complexion was becoming flushed from illness. The towel made a wet splat sound when it came in contact with his skin.

"Oh no, I didn't wring it enough…"

As he moved to retrieve the sopping wet towel, Hibari turned his head to the side in discomfort; the towel slipped from his forehead onto the pillow where it began to soak into the fabric.

"Ah! Oh no…" Tsuna moaned reaching forward to pick it up. A cold hand caught his wrist.

"Hi-Hibari-san?"

Hibari's breath suddenly became more pronounced and laboured. His eyes opened a crack. His lips were forming soundless words.

"What do you want, Hibari-san? I can't hear you."

He watched the pale lips mouth the same word again. There was something about the shape of the word that looked familiar.

_Blood_.

"D-do you need blood, Hibari-san? Is that what you want?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Outside the broken window framed with jagged shards of glass, the sun was beginning to rise, peeking just over the uneven horizon. The sunlight crept into the desolate building, alerting the inhabitants of its presence. The man leaning against the graffiti-covered wall sighed and opened his mismatched eyes. He gazed at the beams casting shadows on the piles of rubble that littered the interior.

"Mukuro-sama," a quiet, serene voice called out from the hallway. A young man in glasses, a white hat and green-schemed school uniform peeked in from around the corner. "We've finished what you've asked."

"Very good, Chikusa," the man replied, twirling the long staff of the slightly bloodied trident in his gloved hand. "How's he then? I trust you've treated him well."

"Yes, however he hasn't spoken yet I must confess."

"Kufufu, worry not, he will," the man called Mukuro assured him confidently. "It's only a matter of time before he bends to our will."

"But of course, Mukuro-sama."

"Apart from that, we shall need to find new accommodations before our next course of action. I fear I've exerted myself more than I would've expected…"

"Yes, I'll take care of that immediately," Chikusa replied, inclining his head politely before leaving, glass cracking under his shoes with each step.

Mukuro stepped into the sun and felt the warmth seep into him like liquid fatigue. He raised his arms and stretched fitfully, running a hand through his dark indigo hair.

"Kyouya Hibari…what a truly frightening man."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Flustered and at a loss as to what he should do, Tsuna tried to help Hibari sit up against the multitude of pillows in some way so he could feed.

Tsuna gulped.

Feed.

He subconsciously cupped his hand over his neck where blood was last drawn from him. He let the hand drop to the sheets and thought to himself resolutely.

_This is something I have to do._

_Do you?_ His inner self questioned. _Do you _have_ to do this? What makes you so obligated towards this…this vampire?_

Hibari grimaced in pain, clenching the sheets around him with bloodless fists.

_Why? Tell me._

_It's the right thing to do right now._

He took hold of Hibari's upper arm and tried to haul him up but it was futile. The man was simply too heavy for him to move by himself.

Tsuna let out a sound of frustration.

Impatient and too foggy-minded to restrain himself, Hibari could wait no longer. With a wild aimless grasp he caught Tsuna by the shoulders and pulled him down on top of him.

"Ah! W-wait, Hibari-san-" Tsuna protested in surprise. It was too late. He felt the telltale fangs pierce the flesh of his neck. Unprepared, Tsuna could not hold in a yelp of pain as the teeth dug in to open the wound further.

Possessing a vice grip, the vampire clung to the smaller boy, drawing him closer to access more of his neck. With a content hum, he drank deeply, enjoying the surge of energy that flowed into him as time passed by. The coppery liquid filled his stomach with warm, lethargic contentment.

Somewhat accustomed to the sharp feeling of blood forcefully leaving his body, Tsuna was more aware of certain details in his surroundings. As he lay there against Hibari's chest, he felt a wafting heat slowly generate, as well as the strengthening beat of the vampire's heart.

The rigid hold on his shoulders slackened over time and the pain was almost unnoticeable. Tsuna wondered if Hibari had decided to stop already (perhaps from fatigue) and lifted his head to check.

Abandoning on his shoulders, a hand caught the back of Tsuna's head and pulled him so his face was pressed against soft fabric. It was hard to tell if it was a pillow or Hibari's shoulder. A faint scent eluded his senses though it was familiar in some way. His mind was fluff, rendering it impossible to process any and all thoughts.

The comfort of the humid atmosphere brought on not only by the summer weather but the proximity of their intimate embrace helped in inducing a stupor in Tsuna. He could no longer tell if Hibari was still feeding on him or not.

Hibari slowly drank his fill, taking pleasure in the shared body heat that seemed to encompass him like a protective blanket of fatigue and recovery. His tense muscles taut with alert and pain relaxed into the padded bed.

Resolute on cleaning up afterwards, he pulled his sharp teeth out of the brunet but soon fell back into a deep peaceful slumber in exhaustion, normal colouring returning to his cheeks.

Still lying on top of the sleeping vampire, Tsuna himself had fallen asleep but was awoken by the unpleasant return of the throbbing in his neck.

Pushing himself into a sitting position, he found the twin punctures in his neck still open and dripping with blood. Longing for a good night's rest, he dragged himself over to the first aid kit on the desk and shuffled through its contents for a bandage.

Peeling off the adhesive backing, Tsuna looked idly at the neglected towel sitting on the damp pillow. He applied the bandage and crawled unhurriedly onto the bed once more, picking up the discard object.

Squinting as weariness unfocused his eyes, he saw the smears of his blood on the vampire's visage and wiped them off with feather soft wipes. As he did this task, he couldn't help but notice that Hibari was a very good-looking young man especially in his sleep.

The raven black strands of hair that fell almost orderly about his closed eyes, the slight opening of his mouth as he slept and the tender rise and fall of his chest; it all seemed so incredibly normal - as if he wasn't the most feared person in the neighbourhood. As if he wasn't a--

The light in some impossible way glanced off the speck of porcelain white teeth, highlighting the presence of the unusually pointed canines.

As if he wasn't a vampire.

Tsuna shivered, suddenly feeling cold inside. He had almost forgotten himself.

That he was in the presence of a walker of the night.

A man who has theoretically enslaved him.

A murderer.

Tsuna's eyes drifted over the number of white bandages in sight and felt a pang of sympathy for his heavy injuries.

Worn out physically and emotionally, Tsuna dropped the bloody towel into the basin with a plop and settled as comfortably in the leather chair as he could.

As much as he would prefer sleeping in the bed, he knew it wasn't a good idea to share a bed with a vampire.

The wooden clock hanging on the wall ticked away the seconds and the minutes until Tsuna, more asleep than awake, slumped forward into the sheets for the night.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The mundane sounds that a clock makes were probably proven that it could and would make a person insane over a certain amount of time.

That was exactly how Gokudera was feeling at the moment.

With each aggravating tick of the clock's mechanisms, the throbbing vein on his forehead pulsed with escalating fortitude. Viciously, he bit into the end of his last cigarette that had long since burnt out.

Casting his gaze across the room, looking for a distraction, he watched Reborn standing solitary by the window with the strict posture of a well-trained soldier.

Minutes, perhaps even hours later, Reborn moved, turning away from the waning moon and approaching the coffee table again to set down his untouched cup of tea. Moments later he picked it up again, turning it on the small saucer by the handle.

This repeated action was unsettling, more so from the long hours they had sat there, quiet and vigilant. The silence was enough to make their ears bleed.

Directly across, Gokudera spied the half-slumbering form of Yamamoto who was drifting between the two states. Finally, after a few seconds passed, the amber yellow eyes slid closed as the half-vampire was drawn into the land of the dreams.

Gokudera had half the mind to slap him across the head for falling asleep on the watch but he too felt the penetrating influence of weariness upon him like a vengeful ghost. He blinked it away heavily, unwilling to succumb to the wishes of his body and mind.

"If you want to sleep, go ahead. I'll be enough to keep watch," Reborn said, appearing on the armrest of the luxurious couch he was slumped upon.

At once, Gokudera jolted into perfect posture and sputtered his reply,

"N-no! I'm perfectly fine, Reborn-san! I will stay up and wait unlike the idiot over there who dared to fall asleep in your presence."

"It's okay to doze for a while. You don't need to force yourself, Gokudera. Sleep is an essential part of all living beings, even us, who are among the living dead, as long as our hearts still beat within us, nourished by our stolen blood."

"Reborn-san…"

"Sleep. Leon and I will take care of everything until you two are well rested. You'll need your strength when the time comes."

"When the time…comes…?" Already, Gokudera felt thick with drowsiness. He repressed the impulse to yawn openly. It was growing harder to focus and listen to the little vampire.

"Yes, when the time comes," Reborn confirmed as Gokudera's eyes closed in sleep.

Raising the teacup to his lips, he drank his first mouthful of bitter cold tea since he returned to headquarters. One hand pushed into the pocket of his jacket, he grasped the small metallic object inside tightly. His mouth twisted to an expression between a grimace and a smirk.

Leon crawled off the brim of Reborn's hat and curled around his feet, glancing up at his partner with glassy orange eyes.

"Let's hope, it all goes according to plan."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Dawn broke on the horizon viewable from the tower that loomed over the mountains. The first rays of light broke through the early morning sky and through the glass panes of the window that served as a door to the room. Inside, Kyouya Hibari awoke stiff-jointed and in mild pain.

Yawning briefly into a thickly padded hand, he pushed himself up onto the pillows and inspected the bandages that encased his body, restricting his movements.

"Kusakabe, wasting valuable material more than necessary," he scoffed as he proceeded to remove the smaller adhesive ones. He was certain that the wounds they covered were healed by now. There were benefits to being a vampire.

Discarding them idly onto the quilts, he noticed the head of brown hair at his bedside, face down in the sheets.

Dreaming of his normal life at home, Tsuna remained sound asleep despite the ache his uncomfortable position would bring once he woke up. He mumbled some nonsensical words and drooled into the patch of black silk he rested his head on.

Hibari could not help but think about how idiotically human his slave was.

Appearing weak but held an unfathomable inner strength. Containing a timid personality typical of prey but housed evidence of a hidden predator within. Showing evident fear yet still was able to fight back with utmost fury.

Tsunayoshi was a curious human to say the least.

It was safe to say that Hibari had never once before met something, someone quite like him. This was a whole new experience for what he expected from the people of Namimori and from that of his subordinates. It was _refreshing_.

An interesting word he had not used before to describe such unusual situations he had encountered.

Swinging the light covers off the lower part of his body, he rose from his bed on the opposite side, breaking from his usual routine and headed for the bathroom to enjoy a quick morning shower.

Buttoning a crisp new cotton shirt with short sleeves, he re-entered the room to find the young boy unchanged. He pulled open a drawer on the dresser and extracted the red-yellow armband, hand-embroidered with characters that depicted him as a member of the Disciplinary Committee. He secured it to his sleeve with the help of a well-worn safety pin.

He made for the window with silent customary footsteps, tightening the blue tie around his neck.

As he passed by the four-poster bed, Hibari paused and approached the resting figure half sitting in his swivel chair and half sprawled on the bed. With a lightly wrapped hand, he brushed stray hairs away from the boy's face. He pulled away as Tsuna shifted in his sleep from the light touch on his skin.

The boy was intriguing and nothing more.

And that's how he'd stay.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Moments later, Tsuna's peaceful sleep was broken by the sharp sound of the window snapping shut. He stretched much like a cat across the soft black sheets, removing the kinks on his back.

Sitting up, he let out a long yawn and rubbed his drooping eyes blearily.

Then he cast his gaze to the centre of the bed.

With a start, Tsuna panicked, wondering where the injured Hibari had gone until he remembered the loud noise of the window that had woken him in the first place.

Though relieved that Hibari had recovered enough to be up and walking about already, Tsuna couldn't suppress the forlorn feeling that washed over him as he stared at the slight indent left behind.

For little reason, Tsuna placed a hand on it.

It was still moderately warm.

Somehow this brought a slight smile to his lips. The remaining body heat was soothing in a strange way.

He stood up to stretch the ache out of his lower back.

As he did so, he noticed something slip off his shoulders and pool onto the tatami mat.

It was a raven black blanket.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: HAHAHAHA, another chapter. So late. Oh god. Sorry. Really I am. It's been slow these days because of the abrupt arrival of the summer heat that was LATE. That and I was busy drawing a hell lot more than usual. I was like a production machine or something. Anyhow, I ended the chapter with a note of fluff and not a terrible cliffhanger so you may rejoice for a while. HOWEVER school exams are coming up so I'll either stop updating until summer or update during exams because I'll use it as a procrastinating device. I'll return after I reach my 100th review (this is a lie, I'd never get there with just this chapter hahahaha). Until later then!

Meru's Beta Note: -Giggle- The Hibari and Tsuna moments were adorable in this chapter. :'D 'Nuff said.

Yam's Beta Note: Uh yeaaaaaah, I'm not beta-ing during exams! . K, Tsuna. Ghey.

**Thank you for reading! Please review with comments, criticisms and complaints; I'd love to hear from you readers. If there are any of you guys left that is.**


	8. Bonding

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: May 29, 2008

End Date: June 23, 2008

**WARNINGS**: Possible OOCness. LOTS of Fluff. Insane amounts of fluff. You'll choke on it. Abuse by means of origami.

**Note (if you didn't already know)**: I kept the term _Aneki_ (of course, meaning older sister plainly) because I felt that 'sister' or 'sis' just didn't hold the same feeling as _aneki_ did since English doesn't show the different degrees of addressing people by titles.

_A/Ns_: SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY. Please give your utmost thanks to my only available beta, Meru, as Yam is a tard and meandered off to Quebec for the summer.

Also, thank you, Doseimotsuko, for giving me my 100th review! I can't believe I got over 100 reviews in as short as 7 installments. (It's also the first time I've hit a 100. Aaaah. I'm so happy.)

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_Estrella85_: Thank you for your high praise (which I don't think I'm worthy of. 'A'.)! There's more fluff where that came from. Way more.

_Akuno Hikari_: Ah! Don't cry! 'A'! :_gives you a tissue_: It's not much of a happy thing! Warm and fluffy, like a cookie? :D. And I was just kidding, haha. ;D.

_chimi-chan_: Oh, there's going to be a lot of 182769 tension in the future. Though not quite all at once, haha. Is this chapter long enough?

I_cedCandy_: Ack! My mistake. XD. I've been plagued by Silver Diamond…in which there is a Chigusa. I'll fix that in a jiff! More fluff in this chapter! Though Tsuna isn't awake for all of it this time either.

_-w- easy enough_: Fluffness galore, just scroll. It's not that weird, Tsuna always kills me with his adorable antics anyways. XD. In the Hibari-Mukuro battle, Hibari technically lost but Mukuro ran out of power so it was a draw.

_CelticAngelWings_: Omg long review. 8D. The editor sends you her words of gratitude as do I. 1827 is totally canon. XD. Totally. Then again, I'm just reading the context of 'you excite me' with a crazed fangirl mind. It's been a long time but has it been too long? Is something horrible going to happen to me?!

Also many thanks to RuByMoOn17, idiotlord, chiharu-tanaka, inyachan, monica u, Hikari the Keyblade of Hope, scatteredbrains, wind-master-redmoon, neko1, Doseimotsuko, alina, kyothefallenkit, Sesshyro, and zeair.

**(Scroll down for the story! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 7 – Bonding

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Back at headquarters, Gokudera arose from a decent night's sleep. Immediately he scanned the entirety of the room out of pure habit.

Reborn was sitting on top of his finely polished desk, folding paper airplanes with what looked suspiciously like important documents. Beside him sat Yamamoto, doing the same while chattering inanely.

In his chair.

"What makes you think you have permission to sit in _my_ chair?!" Gokudera growled dangerously as he approached his desk with viciously thunderous stomps. The pair sitting there looked up from their work.

"Ah, good morning-" Yamamoto started to say but was interrupted by the loud sound Gokudera produced from bringing his hands down hard on the desktop. The papers shook and some drifted off to settle onto the increasingly cluttered floor.

"Answer the question!!"

"Calm down, Gokudera. I gave him permission so there's no need to get upset over such a trivial matter as a chair," Reborn said, shaking his head side to side with disappointment. "I thought better of you, Gokudera, I guess I was wrong."

"No, _no_! That's not it, Reborn-san, it's…it's just that I…" Gokudera broke off, uncertain as to how he could explain himself.

_It's just that it took me a lot of effort to get a position in an office like this and it enrages me to see someone sit in it when they haven't earned the right to_.

As if he would say that out loud.

"Gokudera's probably just tired. We did stay up way into the night after all," Yamamoto interjected with a good-natured chuckle, creasing the fold of the airplane's left wing.

"Exactly!" Gokudera agreed at once before he realized he was actually approving with something that Yamamoto had proposed. "I mean, I, you, I don't need you to butt into our conversation, you idiot!"

"Hey, hey, calm down. Gokudera! There's no need to get so upset."

"_Upset_?! You think I'm up-" Gokudera retorted when the heel of his leather shoes grinded into fallen document and slid his foot from underneath him. He toppled ungracefully onto the floor.

"Hmm, you're getting weak and easily flustered, Gokudera. A vampire must hold poise and caution at every moment _even_ when falling to the floor. Perhaps there is need to retrain you…" Reborn remarked as his shape-shifting chameleon, Leon, took the form of a modified crossbow. The little vampire slotted a freshly made paper airplane into it.

"There's no need, Reborn-san! I'm perfectly capable! I swear it!" the half-Italian half-vampire assured him as the paper airplane propelled itself square into his forehead. He clutched at the spot where it hit. Those airplanes were really pointy.

"Couldn't even dodge _that_ one, what _had_ Shamal been teaching you when I transferred you into his care?" Reborn said, hefting the green crossbow to the height of Gokudera's head once again. "Hn, all's well. I'll just have to retrain you all over again."

In the matter of seconds the office became a war-torn battleground as barrages of paper airplanes shot across the room to meet its target. A few veered off course and dented themselves against the walls.

The door opened with a dry creak. A feminine hand reached up to intercept one of the airborne handicrafts with a deft movement. The paper crinkled and dented as professionally manicured and painted nails dug into it.

"Still playing with toys like these, Hayato? You're still so childish, aren't you?"

The three in the office halted in their scuffle and turned to address the two people standing at the open door.

One was a young boy with light-coloured hair formally dressed. The other was an older woman in casual wear that didn't hide her shapely form.

"A-_aneki_!"

With that exclamation, Gokudera collapsed onto the floor.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

His subordinates automatically slid open the shoji screen doors upon his arrival as he swept into his estate emanating a thick, deadly aura of displeasure. Hibari was not in a good mood.

Having just returned from a thorough scour of Kokuyou Centre and came up with nothing, Hibari was inwardly seething. Though at a distance his movements and facial expression were the same and stoic as usual, anyone within ten feet of him could feel that this was not so. People were eager to leap out of his way lest Hibari suddenly decides to impart his current, muddled feelings on them.

With an exception of one person, of course.

As Hibari entered his ground level office, he was greeted by the sight of a familiar face, lounging comfortably on an extra office chair that had been brought in. His guest directed a smile at him upon his entry and stood up to greet him, a wineglass of crimson liquid held daintily in one hand.

"Kyouya! It's been a while-" The tip of a metal tonfa pressed against his guest's chin. It was only held back by a skillfully manipulated leather whip that was wrapped around its centre.

"What are you doing here?" Hibari said unrelenting and steadily adding more pressure.

"Have you forgotten me already? It's me, Dino! Well, of course you know that," Dino laughed sheepishly, touching the back of his head of blond hair with a hand. The hand that kept the tonfa from smashing into his face tightened its grip on the whip.

"Hn."

"I see you haven't changed a bit since we parted, " Dino's gray eyes narrowed as if disappointed. Hibari made no visible reaction to any of his words.

With a casual jerk of his hand, Dino broke away from what was sure to break out into a full-fledged duel. He hooked his re-coiled weapon onto his belt, twirling the wineglass by the neck without spilling a drop.

He paused and took a small, polite sip.

"Finest we've got. Had a couple dozen bottles shipped over for your perusing pleasure. I'm sure it'll be to your liking."

"Do you have business with me? If this is a courtesy call, you can leave at once," the Japanese man stated blandly, sweeping over to his desk where a short stack of documents laid waiting for his signature of approval.

"Well, I really shouldn't be but there's a low chance that I'd come to Japan any time soon with all that's going on, I won't take up too much of your time," Dino explained idly. "I have urgent business to attend," he added.

Hibari seemed to ignore all this and instead began to sift through the papers on his desk with disinterest. The boiling displeasure from that afternoon's fruitless search was still churning inside him.

"So…" the blond man inquired cautiously, 'I've heard word of a little blood slave milling around this place, supposedly in your care."

Hibari made a disgruntled snort of indifference.

"Don't believe it myself. I mean, you were never the type to get, er, touchy feely with your, uh, meal," Dino said, picking at his words awkwardly to keep them from being too specific. He stared into the deep scarlet depths of his drink thoughtfully and adjusted the fur-lined collar of his long khaki jacket.

"Rumour has it that it's a boy as well, haha, pretty wild, huh?" He chuckled in his hand, taking a drink from his glass. He smacked his lips, approving of the taste that was preserved by the perfectly chilled temperature.

His eyes flitted sideways to stare at the young man at the desk. Hibari had his back turned to him.

"They _are_ rumours, right?"

No reply came for a moment and then,

"What of it?"

Dino snorted into his wineglass in surprise and coughed against the back of his hand. After a moment, he cleared his throat as he tried to disperse the embarrassment reddening his cheeks before answering.

"Well, um, a word of advice then," he said, deciding not to question this curious development. He knew that no matter how intriguing it was he'd never be able to pry a word from the stoic man.

"I don't need advice from anyone." _Especially you_.

"Hear me out, Kyouya," Dino reprimanded with a mild irritation he always had around the stoic and unreasonable young man. "A caged bird that doesn't know freedom from its owner and cage will never know love."

Dino leaned against his hand; his voice became soft as he spoke.

"Even if there's a chance it might never come back, it must be set free sooner or later whether one wants it to or not. If you earnestly, truly believe in it, it will come back on its own accord."

An eerie silence pierced the air until it was interrupted by the shuffling of Dino's clothes as he got to his feet and walked to his side, setting his wineglass on the surface of the polished desk soundlessly.

"That's all I have to say."

"You know your way out," Hibari stated plainly, eyes darting across a document leaden with text.

The blond man sighed and set a small white cardboard box on the desktop. Hibari glanced at it momentarily before returning to his work without raising a comment.

"It's kind of out of season but here's a snack I picked up on the way here. Share them with your, um, friend."

The guard slid the door open as he approached the sliding door, his slippered feet making gentle footsteps as he exited the room. He ran a distressed, tattooed hand through his blond locks irritably, eyes downcast with his last words.

"Birds are meant to fly and mingle in the sky, Kyouya. Remember that."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"This is a pleasant surprise, Bianchi. I wasn't expecting you. You too, Basil," Reborn said unfazed by the fact that a young, developed Italian woman was holding him in her arms while nuzzling the side of his face in adoration. No one else seemed to mind either though perhaps it was more due to good mannerism and politeness on their part.

"Well met, Reborn-san. Master thought it would be wise if I accompanied Bianchi-san. He said that he '_felt that something's happened_'," Basil replied, inclining his head politely. He clasped his hands together in his lap, feeling the need to fidget.

"Always intuitive, that Iemitsu. I suppose I should be glad that he decided to meddle in my affairs this occasion. Your assistance is welcome."

"_Has_ something happened, Reborn?" Bianchi asked without much enthusiasm, embracing the small vampire affectionately to her chest where she kept him since the moment they were reunited.

"Yes," Reborn affirmed, his tone was grim. "My charge, Tsunayoshi Sawada, has been kidnapped."

"Sawada-dono has been?! We must search for him at once!" Basil exclaimed, getting up from his seat.

"Not a problem. We know where he is, at least, we _believe_ we do. We'll know for sure when my other guests arrive."

Basil sat back down feeling uneasy, chewing at his lip thoughtfully. His hands clenched against the leather upholstery.

"What can we do to help?"

"We could use the extra man power but there isn't much we can do presently. My other guests have not arrived as of yet which is worrying however I'm confident that they can take care of themselves if they truly have encountered danger of any kind. We should use this time to fill you and Bianchi in with the details and start considering possible actions to take when the time comes."

Bianchi nodded in approval and reached down to feel the temperature of Gokudera's forehead.

After he collapsed, Yamamoto and Basil maneuvered him onto one of the couches in the office with little difficult although they did swing his head into the edge of the coffee table hard enough to produce a decent sized bump. Afterwards, his sister insisted that she shared the couch with her unconscious brother, cushioning his head with her lap.

Her close proximity seemed to make Gokudera's condition worsen.

"Is Gokudera-dono alright?" Basil inquired with genuine concern upon seeing him wince from her touch, a lock of light honey brown hair hanging between his eyes. He was very alarmed to see the half-vampire collapse suddenly at their arrival.

"Yes. He'll be fine."

"Try not to be too hard on him, Reborn. He's still young and foolish. You must've worn him out with your top-notch training. He was always prone to illnesses when he was younger," Bianchi said, stroking Gokudera's silvery-gray hair tenderly. "A delicate child he was."

Yamamoto hid a chuckle behind his hand at the thought.

"Ah, right. Allow me introduce you. This is Takeshi Yamamoto, one of my new charges," Reborn said, gesturing to the smiling Japanese teen seated next to Basil.

"Yo."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Yamamoto-dono. I am called Basil. I too am one of the turned," he greeted, offering his hand. There was a slight change in Yamamoto's expression at Basil's last statement but he was grinning in his usual friendly manner as he shook his hand with vigor.

"This is Bianchi. As you've heard, she's Gokudera's half-sister."

Yamamoto stuck out his hand but Bianchi didn't seem to notice, being unusually engrossed with checking her brother's health which incited groans and grimaces from him.

"Ah ha…" Yamamoto laughed uncertainly, clenching his hand closed and retracting his arm at the cold shoulder she was giving him.

Bianchi shifted in her seat and gave her full attention to the little vampire cradled in her arms.

"Reborn, you should come home to Italia. I've missed you so much," she whispered, resting her chin on top of Reborn's hat.

"I have work to do here, Bianchi. I won't return until I've completed the mission the Ninth entrusted me with. You know what duty is to me."

"But your charge is gone, right? Nothing is holding you back from returning home now."

"Don't say that!"

Bianchi stared wide-eyed, taken aback by the ferocious intensity of Yamamoto's irate gaze. The amber-yellow of his eyes darkened from emotion. His fists were held tight at his side.

"Tsuna isn't a lost case. We can still save him; it's not over."

"How can you be so sure, Takeshi Yamamoto?" Bianchi countered, her grip on Reborn tightened ever so slightly. "Every creature on this forsaken Earth that can think for itself will know and feel fear once or twice in their short lifetime. Your Tsuna is a human, perhaps different from most, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a feeble human being. All humans succumb to fear and lose hope, their will to live and so on; it is in their nature to do so. Even vampires like us can easily become slaves to our emotions. If he hasn't, he's probably dea-"

"He is strong," he interjected before she could finish. "_Tsuna_ is strong. Maybe not in body but here," he patted his left side of his chest to demonstrate. "He's strong here and he _won't_ give up hope so we shouldn't too. His, _our_ lives aren't as bleak as you make it."

"T-that idiot's…right…"

"Hayato!" Bianchi exclaimed with a start. Gokudera clenched his eyes shut with a grimace. Lifting his arm from his side where it laid, he massaged the throbbing ache present in his forehead, cold sweat running down his face as he spoke.

"As long…as…we're here…and able…we can try…it's the least…we can do...for all he's done…"

At that moment the door opened for the second time that afternoon.

"Um…did I interrupt something?" their guest asked, sensing the thick atmosphere he had walked into.

Reborn broke away from Bianchi's grasp and hopped onto the coffee table to greet the new arrival. His mouth curled into a pleased smirk that disclosed his relief.

"So you've finally come, Dino."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Up in Hibari's chambers, Tsuna shifted uncomfortably on his sitting mat as his legs became numb and fell asleep. He blinked hard and attempted once more to stay on task.

Though the room was at a height high enough that the chirp of the cicadas could not be heard, Tsuna could see signs of summer with a mere glance out the window that displayed a wide expanse of sky.

At first Tsuna had done nothing but sit idly in Hibari's swivel chair which he had rolled over to the open window and gazed at the clear cerulean vastness interrupted once in a while by a wisp of smoky white cloud. The longer he stared the deeper he delved into the realm of daydreams. In fact he was so deeply immersed in his self-imposed delusions that he was nearly crashed into by the arrival of Kusakabe bearing lunch.

It was a miracle when Tsuna thought about it. He hadn't eaten a morsel food in almost a day and a half yet he hadn't felt the pangs of hunger eat away at him until that moment he laid his eyes on a hot meal. He was probably just too preoccupied with all that has been going on.

Still- he blushed at the remembrance -it was down right embarrassing the way he had scarfed down the food.

His stomach emitted a resounding grumble arrogantly.

Tsuna groaned frustrated and wiggled his toes to get the feeling back into them. He could practically feel the intricate embroidery stitched into the sitting mat imprint their shape onto his legs.

Silently he wondered what Hibari was doing, glancing at the small practical wall clock that displayed the time.

It was nearly dinnertime.

As if answering his inquiry a slight thump announced the return of said man himself.

Hibari straightened up, straightening his windswept hair with a shake of his head, and walked over to the short table when he noticed the small brunet seated at it. He sat down opposite, crossing his legs as he loosened his blue tie with a single, bandaged finger.

For a second their eyes met; blue against brown.

Tsuna nervously averted his gaze to his lap that was hidden by a mass of black cloth which his hands fidgeted with. Something white was placed in front of him.

He looked up.

It was a cardboard box with a handle cut into the design, typical of a take-out box from a bakery.

They sat without a word for a while until the atmosphere became too awkward to break.

"Hungry?" Hibari said suddenly, quite out of character for him. He observed Tsuna casually with hawk-like eyes, resting his chin against the back of his hand.

"I, um-" But before Tsuna could answer, his stomach decided to answer for him with an empty gurgle. Face flushed, his mouth opened and closed as he stuttered uncontrollably.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the slight upward twitch of Hibari's thin pale lips. It was brief but he was sure that he did not imagine it.

_Was…was Hibari almost…smiling just then_?

The thought seemed incredulous and inconceivable.

Tsuna was abruptly brought back to reality by the clink of ceramic against wood produced by the plate that Hibari was placing in front of him.

Sitting on it was a pink rice cake half wrapped with a small leaf; a sakuramochi.

"Th-thank you," Tsuna stammered. The sweet seemed oddly befitting of the other man as he watched him bite into the mochi. Realizing that he was staring, Tsuna cast his gaze downwards to his own plate.

"Are you not going to eat?"

"Oh, uh, um, y-yes," he replied stumbling over his words. Hastily he picked up the small round rice cake from the plate and took a small bite. Caught up in his thoughts, he didn't taste much of it as he devoured the treat.

Tsuna looked up after popping the last piece into his mouth to find that Hibari was still staring at him.

"What's that?" Hibari inquired blandly, pointing to black mass of cloth on Tsuna's lap.

"Uh, this is, um, your jacket…actually…" Tsuna replied, clenching his hands as to hide the adhesive band-aids on his fingers. He was never any good at Home Economics.

In one fluid movement, the vampire got to his feet and snatched the tattered coat off his lap as well as the sewing kit sitting at his side with what looked like a flick of his wrist. His narrow azure eyes lingered briefly on the amateur stitching on most of the tears before turning on his heels and strolling over to the four poster bed.

He sat down on the silk obsidian black sheets and beckoned the younger boy over with a wave of his hand. Confused, Tsuna came over as told; shaking out the creased folds in the simple yukata he was wearing.

The moment he was less than a step away, Tsuna found himself swept off his feet by a slender arm around his waist. One moment he was standing, the second he found himself sitting snugly on the bed, the tattered coat he had spent the last couple of hours patching up draped in front of him.

His back was pressed flush against a warm, supple surface that could only be Hibari's chest. The intimacy of the position caused Tsuna to tense up unsure what to make of it.

_Why was Hibari being so…unusually interactive? So unlike his usual stoic self._

Finding himself in a daze once again, Tsuna blinked when he felt a hand take his and guide it towards the ragged garment. A silver needle was offered to him, trailing a single, glossy black thread.

Lulled into a sense of complete utter security, Tsuna relaxed and allowed Hibari to carefully demonstrate the correct way to make a stitch. Soon, the brunet's attention had diverted to the fact that his breathing perfectly matched the rhythmic deep breathes of Hibari's which he could feel against his backside.

After a while, Hibari released his hand to let him to try. Distracted, Tsuna pushed the needle through only to prick himself on the index finger.

"Ah!"

He jerked his hand away from the sharp pain that jolted him out of his fuzzy stupor. A pale hand grasped him firmly by the wrist and forced him to turn it over so the damage could be assessed. A droplet of blood had already formed on his finger.

For a second, Tsuna thought for sure that Hibari was going feed on him again, the grip tightening painfully on his wrist. To his surprise there was a slight crinkling of paper and a band-aid was procured from the small sewing case. Taking hold of one of the flaps in between his teeth, Hibari peeled off the wrapper. In no time at all the finger was wrapped securely and the bleeding had stopped.

Tsuna flexed the finger and turned his head, tilting upwards to look the other man in the face to say his thanks only to find that they were so close that his lips brushed against the other's chin from that innocent action.

Flustered and red in the face once again, he turned back to the half closed tear he had been stitching shut and attempted to pour his effort into making it perfect. The stitches he added were clumsy compared the precise ones Hibari had made.

Hibari sighed at Tsuna's abashed reaction and batted his hands away, taking up the sewing once more. As time passed by, he noticed the light snoring issuing from the warm body leaning against him.

"Tsunayoshi…?" he whispered the boy's name for the first time.

There was no reply.

Abandoning his work, making sure to stab the needle deep into a pin cushion first, he sat and silently enjoyed the boy's presence that seemed to sooth and calm him of his disgruntlement from earlier.

Awkwardly as he was unaccustomed to showing any form of affection, he brought his arms around the sleeping form of the younger boy in what was unmistakably a hug. If Tsuna had been awake he probably would've fainted from the prospect of such a thing ever happening.

"You belong to me."

Hibari's ice blue eyes slid shut as he pulled the slumbering boy even closer into his unexpectedly tender embrace, burying his fatigued face into his soft brown hair. Tsuna mumbled something incoherent in his sleep and subconsciously snuggled towards the warmth emitting from Hibari's body.

"Only to me."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/N_: Ugh, I'm terribly sorry that this took…a month pretty much. I went super slacker or something but at least my exams are over. I don't know but I think that being out of school has rendered my writing skill to crap. I hate to edit this so heavily at least three times because it just wasn't good enough in my eyes. I think the scene I liked the most out of this whole thing was the Dino-Hibari scene because I wrote it a while ago…before my writing went down the drain. Hibari-san is slowly progressing in his, ahem, relationship (if any) with Tsuna beyond master and blood slave so expect a ridiculous amount of fluff in the future. Yes, Hibari-san can sew. And the sakura-mochi is kind of season since it's usually made and eaten in Japan in early March. But I suppose it doesn't really matter that much these days.

_Meru's Beta Note_: It's so cuuuuuuute ;;! -Nothing more to say.- Dx

_Yam's Beta Note_: (Since she's in QUEBEC, she has nothing to say.)

**Thank you very much for reading and I hope that you will see this story to the end. Once again, any comments, praises for the authoress's ego, criticisms, complaints, etc. please be sure to let me know. Until next time then.**


	9. Changing

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: July 16, 2008

End Date: August 2, 2008

**WARNINGS**: Possible OOCness. Fluff alert.

_A/Ns_: Okay, I'm done. And here's some GOOD NEWS. The next chapter is also done. But you'll have to sit in torment for a while since I need my only available beta to finish reading Breaking Dawn first. If she manages to beta two chapters in one sitting, I'll post the next chapter in, let's say, four or five days. Originally this chapter included some of the scenes from the next chapter but it was one straight block of not-fluff and I really really didn't like it. Then I realized that the timeline would be screwed if I put all the serious scenes in next chapter so I squeezed them all in here and then roughly chopping this in half. Since this chapter is a little longer, the next chapter is a tad shorter.

**Edit**: THANK MERU FOR THIS UPDATE AND THE ONE YOU'LL GET ON FRIDAY! YES, THERE'S ONE READY FOR FRIDAY ALREADY! Oh and the great 15385bic drew fanart for **DID**! Type in the dots for (dot): www(dot)theotaku(dot)com/fanart/view/261192/hibarixtsuna

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_GoddesofWrath_: XD. Oh my gosh, you reviewed for every single chapter. Thank you. Hope you continue along with the rest of the story.

_Lady Serena Sparrow_: Haha! Well, there's more dizzy-inducing fluff where that came from for at least three more chapters. Better break out the Advil. I totally understand what you mean about Dino-san and Hibari-san's relationship, so no, you're not crazy. (But what's wrong with that? I'm pretty sure I am.) 182769 triangles are made of win and often crack. XD.

_-w- easy enough_: XD. Don't worry, you'll find out soon. But not right now.

_Akuno Hikari_: XDDDDD. I hope it's nice in Japan! If you're still there that is. Lol, how far are you in the Artemis Fowl series? XD. I have all six. Lolol, well, have some um, shounen-ai fluff. XD. To cure you of summer heat. I'm pretty sure we'll survive. Pretty sure. XD. And don't mention Caramell Dansen to me. Oh god. I had that song stuck in my head seventeen times at the convention.

_chimi-chan_: Sorry if I gave the impression that I'd drop this fic which I can promise you I won't. And thanks for your well-wishes!

_Death2afangirl_: It won't be an exact 182769 triangle but there will be undertones coming soon! Thank you for your kind words and here's an update!

_Lady Tatum_: I'm pleased that you find the plot enticing. 8). And that the vampire theme isn't gaudy or anything. And yes! There be more fluff! Scroll!

_scatteredbrains_: The last scene was one of my favourites too though it was a little cheesy. XD. o/o But surely I'm not one of the best writers for this series. I think the awesome writers just avoid in general because it's so nitpicking and format-butchering. Which leads me to wonder why I put up with it. Oh, and I'm back! (If you hadn't notice yet. XD.)

_15385bic_: Thank you once again for the fanart! It was really really pretty.

_firedraygon_: Oh. My. Gosh. D:! I've read your Naruto fanfics once upon a time. (When I first got into BL.) Er, moving on, yeah, that would definitely shed a little light on Reborn's invincibility in a slightly non-canon way. XD. The rescue will be coming up soon.

_Edley Ashward_: E-evil? Me?! ;-;. :_cries in a corner_: Vampires makes almost anything hot…almost. And if this inspires you to draw in a productive manner by all means why are you restraining yourself?! (I'm aware that the previous sentence makes little sense at the end.)

_Sesshyro_: XD. Ohnoes, quickly! Move away! Because Yam gets you! (Even though she's back home now.)

Many thanks and lots of love also to CelticAngelWings, RuByMoOn17, Estrella85, Hikari the Keyblade of Hope, Princess of Thieves, Doseimotsuko, Cielo-negro, Silver Star Celine, wind-master-redmoon, kyothefallenkit, Sonya, Tsuki no Akebono, Rings of Saturn, and Ore no Naruto.

**(Scroll down for the story! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 8 – Changing

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Warm.

That was the first thing that registered in Tsuna's hazy mind as he shifted slightly in his sleep.

Despite the blazing, permeating summer heat, the temperature was normally cool at the altitude the room was built at. Sometimes it became a tad chilly at night making blankets a necessity if one did not wish to catch a cold in their sleep. Having become a regular occupant of said room this was not news to Tsuna.

Yet somehow Tsuna felt reasonably warm and comfortable though the weight of the quilts over his body was non-existent.

Curiosity winning over his desire to return to sleep, Tsuna cracked an eye open to see just how this was so.

Darkness.

His panic subsided when he realised that his face was half-pressed against the pillow he was resting on. However something else was in the way, blocking the light.

Tsuna attempted to turn over next but found that he was being pinned down by something. His drowsy state wasn't allowing him to summon up a decent amount of power to overcome the slight weight draped across his back.

He settled for turning his head to the side.

Barely suppressing his squeak of surprise Tsuna found to his dismay that he was trapped under a slumbering Hibari's arm.

Obsidian black silk and an equally dark coloured button invaded his vision in a dangerously close manner; serene, even paced breathing pervaded his hearing.

It was approximately half an hour later that Tsuna regained conscious thought after freezing in surprise. His brain happily decided it was time to recall the events that led up this particular situation.

He groaned silently at the fact that he was so easily lulled to sleep. In the arms of his captor to boot.

Subconsciously, he touched the white-silver ring snug on his pinky with his thumb. It pulsed along the magical design it produced that night he was brought before the very man he was sharing the bed with currently.

Tsuna shivered.

_At least I wasn't fed on between then and now_, he thought grumpily as a way to console himself. There was no telltale ache on his neck so he assumed he wasn't bitten while he was unconscious.

But the question as of now was what he should or could do at the moment.

Going back to sleep was out of the question as he was far too aware of how close Hibari was to him that instant.

Tsuna cautiously made to tilt his head upwards but was thwarted by a rather uncharacteristically tender nuzzle to the top of his head. It was safe to say that further movement should not be attempted, not with his own head tucked under Hibari's.

Lying there for a while without moving a muscle even to think, Tsuna had to admit that it wasn't a particularly bad situation to be in.

Until he realized that he was pressing his face against the soft fabric of Hibari's pyjama shirt and deeply inhaling his scent.

Tsuna violently shoved the other body away as soon as his brain caught up with his motor skills.

Before the flustered boy could begin to contemplate his obvious insanity, a hand crushed him to the mattress by the neck. Looming over him with an overshadowed expression, Hibari seemed to have been rudely awoken by Tsuna's shove to the chest. And he didn't appear to be in the best of moods.

"Who are you?" Hibari growled, half-asleep and unable to register just who this intruder he was pinning to his bed was. His black hair draped about his face, swathing his eerily luminescent blue eyes in shadows. There was something dangerously feral about his expression.

Before Tsuna could gather enough air (which was a feat as it was with the hand clamped around his windpipe) to start stammering apologies at light speed, the shuddering sound of the window opening brought his attention to his right. Crouching nimbly on the ledge with a saran-wrapped tray balanced expertly on one hand was Kusakabe arriving with lunch.

He took one look at the two on the four poster bed and blinked twice for good measure. The stalk of grass the discipline committee vice president typically chewed on swerved to switch from the left side of his mouth to the right as he set foot into the room quiet as a mouse and set the tray down on the work desk before…

…turning tail and leaping back out.

If Tsuna was not being held down by the neck or missing his sense of rational thought he would've screamed for him to come back so he could explain what was really happening and, more importantly, get him to help. The slight increase in pressure around his throat brought his attention back to Hibari who was still bearing down upon him free of coherent and conscious thought.

"_Who are you_?" the half-conscious creature demanded once again, pressing down a little harder as a sign that he won't ask again. Breathless, Tsuna struggled to speak.

"I-it's me, Hibari…san! T-tsuna…yoshi…" the squirming brunet managed to choke out, pulling uselessly at the hand that held him painfully captive. Those few words seemed to be enough as the force applied lessened until he could breathe normally.

"Tsunayoshi…" Hibari mumbled under his breath, trying to recall the memory of his identity.

"Yes, that's right," he encouraged, hoping it would be enough for him to release his hold completely. It seemed to have the desired effect as Hibari lifted his hand and pressed it into the mattress just below the pillows and next to Tsuna's head though he made no move from his straddling position.

Now that the danger had passed, Tsuna quickly regained his ability to be embarrassed as his face flushed red at how even more inappropriate this position could be interpreted as. He wasn't sure which one he preferred, scared to death or blushing to death.

"Hi…Hibari-san?" Tsuna tried softly, afraid that if he spoke too loud, his voice might cause him to snap and revert to the personality earlier.

Hibari seemed to sway slightly above him before collapsing on top of him.

Tsuna squeaked with the last of the air in his lungs as his body was sandwiched between Hibari's warm body and the soft mattress.

"Hibari-san?"

He strained his ears to hear the even breathing of deep sleep coming through Hibari's lips (though he could've known as much by the gentle expanding and contracting of his chest which was pressed against his own).

Tsuna decided at that moment that someone out there really hated him.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"So let me get this straight, you _lost_ him while he was right next to you."

Dino cowered a little into his seat from the scrutiny of the little vampire.

"Y-yes, but it was a very busy shopping district! I know I should've held his hand but he insisted that there was no need to treat him in such a way. Honest!" the blond man added in a panic.

Reborn turned around and let out a deep, disappointed sigh, holding his small hands stiffly behind him to take the stress away. The days were progressing from bad to worse with every new development.

"I suppose it was careless of me to assume that you could safely escort him without your subordinates in your company. Mind you, we must recover him at once. Who knows what could happen should he fall into the clutches of our adversaries."

"I'm deeply sorry, Reborn," Dino apologized with his head bowed.

"If I may speak, Reborn-san," Gokudera interjected from his position behind his desk. Bianchi had reluctantly agreed to don a pair of heavily tinted sunglasses to ease her half-brother's discomfort. "For what reason do we require the help of Rites Master Fuuta?"

"That shouldn't be too hard to guess, you know very well what he specializes in."

"Rites Master?" Yamamoto inquired, leaning forward as he got more involved with the current conversation. This was all news to him as he hasn't actually learned all there is to know about the vampire society. He barely even knew the basics.

"That's right, why don't you explain, Basil? You are probably the most knowledgeable about the Rites Master in this room. I'm confident that Iemitsu has not shirked in his uncanny habit of drilling information into his pupils while in the midst of heavy training."

"Not at all, Reborn-san," Basil replied modestly. He set down his half-empty tea cup onto the glass coffee table and clasped his hands together in his lap.

"As a hidden society amongst humans who shun anything occult and unusual due mostly to religion and beliefs of their era, the method of written documents that contained any vampire heritage or traditions quickly grew out of practice after one particular archive was dug up by an unwitting mortal farmer eons ago. As there are far too many laws we follow for everyone to memorize, one person of vampire heritage was given the task to retain all old and new information regarding vampire laws etcetera.

"In order to absorb the vast amount of information, the first Rites Master burned all the documents and took the ashes into his body. As all documents were written in a vampire's own blood, the information became one with the Rites Master's own blood. A Rites Master can gain new information through drinking the blood of another which is why it is forbidden for them to drink the blood of humans or any other creature."

"But wait, how do these Rites Masters survive then? If they don't…take in blood," Yamamoto interrupted, thoroughly bamboozled. He could still feel the phantom gnaw of bloodlust in his stomach from the other day.

Gokudera snorted at his question as though he was an imbecile. Basil only offered a kind smile before continuing.

"Rites Masters may be forbidden from drinking human blood but they can still receive enough to survive from other vampires. Since vampires cannot create their own blood with their bodies, they drink from creatures such as humans to stimulate their circulatory system and keep their body functions in order. The concept of passing blood from one vampire to another can be explained with a simple analogy.

"If you cup your hands to get water from the stream, the water will undoubtedly begin to seep through the gaps between your fingers as time goes by. And if you chose to give someone else the water in your hands, they will receive even less. In the end, no matter who has the water, it will all drip away and you'll have to return to the stream again."

"I think I sort of get it, it's kind of like getting something second-hand. It's a little used by the first guy but it still works for the next person."

"Nice to know you aren't all brawn and no brains," Gokudera commented gruffly. He wasn't in the best mood after he allegedly recovered from Bianchi's presence and once again realizing that he had agreed with the baseball idiot.

Yamamoto knew better and shrugged the remark off.

"That's exactly it, Yamamoto-dono. Carrying on, the Rites Master is the only person who knows of all our traditions, laws, and rites in full. There can only be one Rites Master in existence to prevent conflict of interest and create a uniform set of ever-upgrading knowledge. The position is passed on to a pupil who fits certain requirements to take on the job when the existing Rites Master passes away. This is why the Rites Master is important. He or she is usually of neutral position and can serve to mediate conflicts of interests, decisions and powers by overruling with his or her interpretation of our laws. He or she is also required to attend rituals to ensure that all proceedings are performed as they are written."

"Wow. Sounds like a tough job."

"It is a great honour but also a great burden to whomever the title is bestowed upon. Rites Master Fuuta is our current Rites Master and one of the youngest in our history."

"Under strange circumstances, the previous Rites Master died prematurely, forcing him to take over," Reborn added. "However since his initiation, he has done well for a blood child of his age. He came to your initiation ceremony, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did," Gokudera affirmed. Under the circumstances that a blood child (even a half-blood) was unanimously a part of his or her parents' clan, there were complications to overcome for the half-Italian to join the ranks of the Vongola. He supposed he owed the kid one.

"I still don't see why we need him though," Gokudera admitted, glaring irately at the empty cigarette boxes in his drawers. He crumbled them in his fists and deposited them into the wastebasket.

"Very well. I will explain as I see fit," Reborn said resignedly. "As you know all know, Xanxus of the Varia Division had kidnapped our next head and presented him as a commonplace gift to a non-alliance clan led by the notorious Kyouya Hibari. Such an act viewed from any angle is blatant treason. Nevertheless Xanxus is a crafty being and will most likely feign ignorance to Tsuna's true identity as his future leader. It doesn't matter if we know his true intentions. Only the law can decide the verdict. That is why we need to get hold of Fuuta beforehand to see which side has the clear advantage in terms of our traditions and laws. If it turns out that he has somehow escaped judgment we must find a countermeasure to whatever plan he is scheming."

"That makes sense," Yamamoto remarked, falling back against the sofa.

"That is not all. As Basil has mentioned, a Rites Master's pupil has to fit certain conditions. One of these is an innate ability that can serve as an around-the-clock defense. Not every clan enjoys living under one set of laws as their options are limited and their power is restricted to keep disputes from breaking out. A Rites Master needs a way to defend themselves from such pursuers. Fuuta's particular power is a type of radar. Within a certain perimeter, Fuuta can sense all living creatures in the area and differentiate between them. He can tell if they are vampire or human, hostile or friendly, even distinguish who is who if he's met them before. As we are planning a full scale infiltration and rescue mission in a place akin to a fortress, he would no doubt be a useful asset in locating Tsuna's exact position once we get in thereby avoiding a time-consuming scouring of the grounds."

"You sure thought this through, Reborn," Dino said rather impressed. "Speaking of infiltrate, I forgot to mention that there's a little um, problem in the lobby."

"Let's have it."

"The guards weren't too sure what to do with him so they've blocked his access to the building. Since I was coming up to meet you I told them it wasn't much of a bother to pass on the message. Back to the point, there's an odd teenager downstairs stirring up a fuss. He's mentioned your name a couple times and won't listen to a word. The authorities are trying to avoid detaining him while they are unsure if he's a threat or not."

"Tell me, what does this teenager look like?"

"Short gray hair, bandaged hands not for injuries I suspect, a bit of adhesive medical tape on the nose and a scar on the side of his temple running through his eyebrow. Anyone you know?"

Reborn thought for a moment with his back turned to him.

"Bring him up. But first ask him if he knows Colonello."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Kneeling on the same embroidered sitting mat as yesterday at the same low table on the same side, Tsuna nibbled at his lunch without a sound.

After he had managed to shift the larger, slumbering body off to the side, he inhaled a couple breaths with his eager, oxygen-deprived lungs before Hibari found it in himself to wake up and trudge to the adjoined bathroom for a morning shower. Taking his time to freshening up, Tsuna, with a twinge of hesitation, joined Hibari at the low table, refraining from mentioning the events that occurred earlier.

In awkward silence they ate through the simple Japanese meal. Hibari, finishing first and proceeding to enjoy his cup of freshly brewed red tea in small sips, observed his company over the brim of the glazed porcelain cup. The attention the brunet was receiving was more than a little unnerving.

Fixing his brown eyes to the forest-green hand-woven twine coaster sitting on the middle of the table Tsuna focused overzealously on devouring the rest of his food bit by bit. He continued like this until he realized he'd eaten everything offered to him. He even cleaned the bowl of every kernel of rice.

With great reluctance he set his chopsticks down, signaling that he was done.

Hibari seemed to notice and drained the rest of his cup in a single breath. The cup clinked against the tabletop, sounding far louder than it should've been to Tsuna's ears.

He clenched his fists tightly in his lap, no doubt creasing the fresh linen of his new yukata that was identical to the one he wore before. Eyes still intently concentrated on the coaster, he allowed only his hearing to follow what Hibari was doing with the sounds of shifting fabric.

It suddenly felt unusually cold in the room and Tsuna could not force down the shiver that jolted through his spine when a hand rested on his shoulder. The body heat from the contact seemed to feel uncomfortably hotter than it should as the rest of the room nose-dived in temperature around him.

With a swift, split-second movement Tsuna found himself swept off his seat and lifted into the air.

"W-wha?" he squeaked, unable to resist the urge to flail and squirm. This only seemed to cause Hibari to tighten his hold on the smaller, lighter boy, seemingly unaffected by his erratic movements. He waited patiently for him to calm down.

After ascertaining that he probably wasn't going to be put down with a few barely audible protests, Tsuna held his hands to chest and chanted a three-word mantra loudly in his frazzled recess of his mind.

_Not bridal-style. Not bridal-style. _Not_ bridal-style._

Breaking off from his thoughts for a moment, he peeked up imploringly at Hibari and stuttered,

"W-what are you doing?"

Stepping towards the open window, Hibari hopped up onto the well-worn wooden ledge before answering in his matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"We're going out."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Yamamoto shuffled over to allow their new arrival to sit down. The small office was steadily becoming overly crowded.

"Thanks for letting me up! I thought I was going to spend all day down there! Not that I mind, those guards look like worthy adversaries in a match of boxing!" Ryohei exclaimed loudly, dropping in the offered seat.

Dino had arrived on the scene to find him about to start a fight with the disgruntled guards who were at the end of their patience. He almost had to drag the eager teenager to the elevator.

"Hey, I know you!" Yamamoto said in realization. "You're Ryohei Sasagawa from Nami B, aren't you?"

"Oh?! You know me?"

"Yeah, our clubs shared the same storage room before you transferred out."

"Ah! That's right! Takeshi Yamamoto, ace of our school's baseball division!"

"Oh, I'm nothing like that, really," he said modestly with a pleased grin.

"I've seen you practice sometimes, I like your determination. You should join the boxing club!" Ryohei yelled with fierce insistence, forgetting that he no longer attended the school.

"I don't know, I think baseball's more my kind of thing."

"I insist!"

"Well…"

"We get the point, you two know each other, and can you _be_ any louder, turf head?" Gokudera yelled in annoyance at their irrelevant conversation. He could feel a vein pulsing on his forehead from their incessant chatter of sports.

"Turf head?! You aren't much better, Octopus head."

"_Octopus_?!"

"Hayato, calm down," Bianchi chided, affixing a reprimanding gaze at him over the top of her shades. Gokudera immediately paled and turned away.

"Anyways, I apologize for being late! Master Colonello had business to wrap up so he sent me on my own. I must've read the map upside down because I ended up somewhere completely different! Oh, and I also met my sister so I suppose it wasn't such a bad thing. But I hear that you are my new master! Is that true?"

"None of that matters right now. We will fill you in on the details after Dino finishes his report and explains why he took a detour to the Hibari estate."

"You knew?" Dino questioned with a look of disbelief.

"I knew you were Hibari's teacher while he was fresh and you're pretty adamant on keeping your connections with people you know even if they don't particularly like you. It was easy to guess that you paid him a visit on your way. It's the only reason to explain why you were so late when I received news of your plane's arrival."

"Well, you got me. I thought I'd see how Kyouya's been up to after I left him to his own devices. I was quite surprised to find that he had created his own clan in such a short amount of time. We didn't do much other than exchange pleasantries though I did give him some advice regarding his new blood slave. Apparently they weren't rumours."

"That's exactly as I feared."

"Huh?"

Reborn cast a dark gaze down at the table he was standing on. Everyone watch him intently, waiting for his next words.

"If what Dino says is correct, the situation has become far more complicated than I had first suspected. Fuuta's assistance is now absolutely indispensable."

"I don't understand," the blond man said.

"The so-called blood slave you gave Hibari advice on can only be one person, the very same person we are trying to rescue and that is Tsuna."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The Hibari compound was large and spacious with several buildings and numerous rooms. If it wasn't for the masses of young men in black collared school uniforms and identical out-of-date hairstyles that screamed delinquent, the place would've attracted many wandering tourists.

One of the leading attractions would've been the garden. Situated around the path that connected the front gate to the front door, it was a sight to behold in the daylight hours with its flourishing foliage and vegetation that was always tidy and presentable. There was even an impressive pond full of Koi fish off to the side.

Having arrived in the dead of the night and draped over the shoulder of a very unhappy silver-haired swordsman, Tsuna was instantly awed by the sight as soon as they safely touched down on the ground.

"Wow," he noted articulately.

"Hn," Hibari said in response.

Realizing he was still clinging to Hibari's neck which he couldn't resist doing once they jumped out the window and began an accelerating plummet down the tower, he flung himself off the man as though electric-shocked. He turned his head as he felt his face burning with embarrassment.

Unfazed, Hibari merely wandered into the cool shade provided by the trees and examined the diverse flora thriving in his meticulous garden.

Keeping a good distance from where Hibari was standing, Tsuna allowed himself to enjoy the fresh tranquility of the garden to the fullest. There was even a light breeze whistling through the trees.

He took a deep breath of fresh air and relished in the daydream that he was back at home in his front yard instead of being held captive at the Hibari estate. He could almost believe it.

Walking carefully across the stone path in his bare feet (he was not provided with shoes as he had spent most of his time in Hibari's bedroom) he peered into the Koi pond, then at the trees above. Luckily the ground was devoid of any pebbles or gravel.

He felt a presence approaching him from behind, stopping mere centimetres away.

"Our native Sakura trees. Blossoms in early April," Hibari stated matter-of-factly, following Tsuna's gaze upwards to the thick thatch of green leaves.

"It must've been very beautiful," Tsuna said. He could imagine it, the whole lane framed in delicate pink, petals swirling around your ankles as you walked. It would've been quite the sight.

"Indeed."

A rustle in the bushes caught his attention.

"What was that?" Tsuna asked in alarm and paranoia, stepping back from the bush allowing his eyesight to dart around to look for the source of the disturbance. He almost bumped against Hibari who was still standing behind him.

"Just one of my henchmen," Hibari answered. Sure enough, emerging from behind the dense bush was one of the gakuran clad men with a pair of clippers at hand. He bowed deeply at the sight of the two before moving on to another bush and blending perfectly into the shade.

Slightly bamboozled at this development, Tsuna wondered if there were more men hidden in the garden, tending to it and keeping it in prime condition unseen in shadows. Just the thought caused the initial glamour of it all to lower by more than a few notches.

_But this is nice_, he thought. Something must've changed for Hibari-san to actually let him go outside. Hopefully for the good as it seemed to be so far.

"Uh, um, this might by a stupid question but…" Tsuna started to mumble, regretting his choice to attempt conversation and averted his eyes to the healthy green trees above him, "don't you have work to do today?"

"I might, but I thought I'd spend the day with you."

The answer was so unexpected Tsuna was effectively rendered speechless. He opened and closed his mouth uselessly as he felt his face heat up for the umpteenth time that day.

Luckily he was saved from replying as something flew smack into the side of his forehead and bounced off.

"Ow!"

Clutching at the injured spot, he looked down to find a battered soccer ball.

Over at the open entrance gate a small child was peering in nervously at them. It was a little girl with brown pigtails. In the distance there were a band of children meandering around idly, waiting for her return. She squeaked and hid around the corner when she realized they had noticed she was there. Her wide chocolate brown eyes came back into view moments later.

With a gentle smile Tsuna dropped his hand from his forehead and made a gesture to beckon her inside. Next to him Hibari knelt down and scooped up the lost ball in one hand.

Cautiously she stepped over the threshold and onto the grounds with diminutive footsteps, her hands were held stiffly behind her back from her in anxiety as she approached them.

"Is this your ball?" Tsuna asked, crouching down so he was at eye-level. Her little head bobbed up and down furiously. At this point he would've handed her the ball and gave her a pat on the head as well as a 'be more careful, okay?'. The only problem being that he wasn't the one with the ball.

Feeling a mite uneasy himself, Tsuna looked up at Hibari to see what he would do.

Hibari looked down with a nonchalant expression at the little girl in front of them, the soccer ball balanced on one hand. The girl stared back with large doe-like eyes, chewing on her bottom lip in anticipation. She blinked a couple times owlishly.

A small puff of yellow streaked through the surrounding trees and circled them twice before taking his place on Hibari's head. It was unmistakably Hibird back from doing whatever little yellow birds usually did and was now contently snuggling into the stoic teen's raven black hair.

The little girl appeared fascinated at the small creature's arrival and stared with her little mouth agape. All fear and apprehension banished from her expression.

"Here."

Hibari dropped the ball into her hands which she held out just in time. She hugged the item to her chest tightly as though afraid it would be taken from her. She turned and sprinted to the gate.

When she reached it she spun around on her heels and broke out in a broad infectious grin.

"Thank you, misters!" the little brunette called out and ran at full speed to return to her playmates outside. Tsuna waved her off until she reached them, holding the ball high above her head.

With a content grin plastered to his face Tsuna wasn't exactly surprised when he turned to find Hibari with a small smile of his own. He looked almost like a different person. That little kid was indeed contagious.

Perhaps the older teen realized what he was doing because he immediately dropped the slight smile.

"What?" he asked with narrowing eyes as though he was daring Tsuna to question him.

"N-nothing!" he sputtered then looked down at the ground. "But, um…"

Hibari raised a defined eyebrow.

"You were…really nice back there."

"Really now?" Hibari inquired with a coy smirk.

"Well, um, I, uh…"

Tsuna shuffled his feet, unable to reply.

"-alright?"

"Eh?" Tsuna said, missing the question completely and looking up.

"Your forehead. Is it alright?"

Reminded of the light injury, he could suddenly feel the throbbing of the spot once again.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. Really."

Hibari didn't seem to believe him as he reached up with a hand and brushed Tsuna's chocolate-brown lock out of the way to access the damage if any. Feeling as though a colony of butterflies had spontaneously sprung into existence in his gut, Tsuna clenched his eyes shut, willing it away.

_Oh god, this is so cheesy, _exactly_ like a chick flick_, he thought.

He felt Hibari's cool fingers brush over the throbbing area. It felt unusually soothing though it still ached under the gentle touch. The other teen was closer now than before as he could feel the other's warm breath tingle against his skin.

Inwardly, he wondered if this was what those heroines in the aforementioned chick flicks felt like. This was usually the part before the climatic kiss.

Kiss.

Tsuna's eyes shot upon and stepped back abruptly much to Hibari's confusion though he didn't show it.

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing!"

Flustered, the brown haired boy turned and walked briskly towards the Koi pond, starting on a tangent about how he loved fish and their shiny scales and whatnot to change the topic. This was all accompanied with arm flailing. The insides of his head progressed into a battlefield as he waged full-out war against his traitorous inner conscience. Something must be really wrong with him to actually _think_ something like that.

Somehow, just somehow, someone had left a pair of innocent hedge clippers lying around and Tsuna had the misfortune to trip over them, blinded by his ruffled state.

"Gah!" was the last word he managed to utter before tumbling head first into the pond with a resounding splash.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: I think the real reason Hibari smiled at the little girl was because she was sort of like Tsuna. D:. Except little and a girl. Uh huh. I think he's getting used to Hibari-san's weird, weird ways of showing love. :_slapped in the face by a tonfa_: I mean everything I say! :_slapped again_: I think Tsuna's going to have a facial overload from the rate he blushes/gets embarrassed. I bet Hibari-san liked that, Tsuna's blushing face. :_slapped_: Anyways, coming up next chapter we have some more serious stuff, maybe a little fluff to fill in the spaces and the introduction of a couple more characters! Doesn't that sound fun, kids? :_slapped_:

_Meru's beta note_: So, um. I finished beta-ing this after four days of a non-stop anime convention. I'm exhausted (though not exhausted enough to not enjoy the awesome fluff). lolchickflick. Sorry it took so long to beta. I've had it open, I've just been procrastinating. Anyway, I'm tired, so I'm gonna go die somewhere.

**Thank you for Reading and I'm dearly sorry for the delay. It's summer, I run on super low function. Please feel free to bloat my ego while you're down here at the bottom of the chapter. Once again thank you.**


	10. Bargaining

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: August 2, 2008

End Date: August 2, 2008

**WARNINGS**: Possible OOCness. Fluff alert. Abuse? Inner narration is a little confusing.

_A/Ns_: So, school's starting! And for some, it's already started! Here's a chapter of fluff and plot twist (but not really) to help alleviate the pain of homework! Enjoy!

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_firedraygon_: Like, I know, right? (They were good, I can tell you that. D:.) Lol, it's hard to write blushing so many times while trying not to repeat yourself. And look! A short wait! And more fluff!

_GoddesofWrath_: I think it's working. Hahaha. Hibari-san…:_hug_: :_gets slapped_:

_chiharu-tanaka_: Lol, he probably stays home so much he'd get bored enough to sit and watch chick flicks with his mom and then wonder if he's out of his mind for doing it.

_-w- easy enough_: Seeing a ton of reviews in my inbox with words like yours makes me grin for hours. :D. Hibari-san can be nice when he tries. But only for Tsuna. D:. And even then it's sort of hard.

_Akuno Hikari_: There, there. :_patpat_: It'll get better. Maybe this will make it a little better. Maybe. And I've heard of that anime, haven't actually seen it though. I think you should give your sister a wide berth when she's anything close to malevolent in mood and call the local authorities. Or scream. D:. Whichever one is more convenient.

_Leaf Angel 182_: Hi, (formally) chimi-chan! There's more 1827 interaction in this chapter but not completely fluff. And just a little tidbit, there's more Pillow!Tsuna and snuggling next chapter. And of course, Hibari-san has a soft spot for kids :_slapped_, they are the future of Namimori. D:. If they aren't nurtured to perfection at a young age they'll turn into miscreants who'll disrespect the school.

_15385bic_: Naw, Hibari-san's just making that effort for Tsuna. More to be said on that next chapter.

_Cloverfish_: Well, what did you expect? XD. It's still Tsuna. You can't spell Tsuna without blunder. It's just like him to do something that shatters the mood completely.

Thanks also and lots of love to Cielo-negro, Estrella85, RuByMoOn17, Retse, inherstateofmind., Hikari the Keyblade of Hope, and 131'BlUe-ChEeSe'.

**(Scroll down for the story! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 9 – Bargaining

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Is that who it was?!"

"If we assume what you said was true. There is no evidence that is it the case but the probability is high," Reborn stated to ease their discomfort.

"That bastard…how could he do such a thing?!" Gokudera growled, punching his desk with a tightly furled fist.

"But we don't know if it's true," Yamamoto repeated pointedly.

"Hmm…you say that guy's Tuna or something?" Ryohei remarked thoughtfully for a moment. His eyebrows were knitted together in thoughtful concentration that seemed very uncharacteristic of him. It gave him a sort of pained, pinched look.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada is his name."

"Then yeah, it's him alright."

"What do you mean?"

Ryohei scratched the side of his face absently, unfazed by the intensity of the stares directed at him.

"That place I ended up at instead of here, apparently it was Hibari's house."

"What?!" Several of them exclaimed. There was even a slight change of expression noticeable from Reborn.

"Tell us everything that happened, exactly as you saw it," he urged calmly.

"Well, I barged in there around morning when a couple of them discipline committee members stopped me. They tied me up and threw me into a dungeon of sorts. It even had bars and stuff."

"Go on."

"After a while the guys came back and they threw some other people into the other cell and left. I was concentrating on trying to get out so I didn't pay them much attention at first. Then I realized it was actually my kid sister Kyoko, her friend, and that Sawada kid you keep talking about."

"That bastard held the Tenth in a cell?! Despicable! When I get my hands on him, I'm going to-"

"Quiet down for a moment, Gokudera. Continue."

"Well, we talked a while and those guard guys came back with Hibari this time. That's when I realized where I was. He took one look at us and told his lackeys to bring Sawada back to his room, not sure of the reason behind that but he had the nerve to tell them to get rid of the rest of us! He probably didn't mean it the way he made it sound. He's always kind of like that. Anyways, he was going to leave again when Sawada spoke up and starting yelling at him. That kid's got some backbone in him, I must admit. At that moment, he got that kind of fire in his eyes that we could use in the boxing club, after some training, of course. Must've convinced Hibari though, he let us out after that," he finished.

"Why didn't you mention this earlier, turf head?!" Gokudera demanded, leaning over his desk to yell at him.

"I forgot!"

Reborn shook his head disapprovingly as they continued their petty argument which Yamamoto was trying to break up.

"But at least we've learned something," Dino said to those who were listening. "Tsuna is definitely not dead." He gave a pointed look at Bianchi who looked away indignantly.

"And we've found out that it's more than likely that Sawada-dono is held in Hibari's private chambers," Basil added.

"That's one less problem we have to deal with but there's still a matter of figuring just where those chambers are," Reborn reminded them. The blond man pursed his lips, crossing his arms.

"At least it can't get any worse."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The last of the daylight could be seen on the broken horizon behind the small town as two figures raced up a worn gravel path into a remote part of town. They came to a screeching halt behind a tree to catch their breath.

"We…we can't keep doing this…running away…they'll find us sooner or later!" the young girl remarked, out of breath. She leaned against the cool bark, brushing her short fringe off of her perspiring face.

"I…I know, but we have to figure out what's going on before they catch us…I think…I think I know what's going on, a little," the teenaged boy replied, tugging at his open shirt. The weak breeze in the air did nothing for their comfort in the heat.

"That must be a first, you actually knowing something," she teased. A crow flew out of a tree nearby, startling their nerves. "We should find somewhere to stay for the night. That shouldn't be too hard; we've been doing for two nights now."

"Y-yeah…"

"Are you still scared? There's no need for that now! And be glad those two scientists left to report to their boss without waiting for the guys on the next shift or we could still be there."

There was some light sniffling.

"Are you crying? Don't cry, you're a man, aren't you?"

"I…I'm not crying!" But it was obvious he was close to tears from the sound of his voice. The girl sighed but made no attempt to console him as this sort of thing tended to happen quite a lot. Having him cry on her like this was the least of their troubles.

"Hmm…there's a light over there. Do people actually live this far outside of the town?" she said, changing the subject. Through the gaps in the foliage, she could see light streaming through. It did not move so it couldn't have been a flashlight or anything non-stationary.

"Come on, we might as well see what it is."

She grabbed the sniveling boy by the elbow and dragged him through the thick undergrowth that scratched at their ankles and snagged at their clothing. It didn't take long until they reached a clearing. Careful to stay in the shelter of the thick shadows, they peered out to see a multiple-floored mansion situated in the middle of nowhere. It was obvious that someone inhabited it since nearly every room was lit with an orange-yellow light.

"I think I know this place…I've been here…with Reborn," the boy said, peeking through a gap in a bush.

"Then maybe there's someone in there that could help us!"

"Maybe…"

The girl retreated deeper into the woods for a moment, turning to look the boy square in the eye.

"We might as well try it; it could be our only hope."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Hot water rained on him, running down his bare body as Tsuna scrubbed his embarrassed face vigorously with the soft washing towel, turning the skin even more red. He couldn't believe he fell into the pond like that.

After floundering about in the shallow depths and frightening the marine life in the process, he felt strong arms grasp him by the arms and lift him out. Coughing out pond water Tsuna clutched onto Hibari's shirt until the initial panic passed him by, which returned head on as soon as he realized he was soaking into his saviour's clothing.

He did not receive a scolding for doing so but was berated with inquiries of his well-being to which he replied that he was fine. Without a moment to lose they were hurtling up the side of the building once again, running along invisible footholds. It was at that moment the heavens decided to start a steady, strong rainfall. The chill of the wind produced by this motion bit into Tsuna's wet skin aided by the raindrops that hit like hail. Upon arrival at the bedroom he was ordered to take a shower at once, lead by the shoulders to the open bathroom door.

Hibari was definitely acting…unusual as of late. Admittedly it was a nice kind of unusual.

Maybe he wasn't such the bad guy that everyone took him for…

Or maybe he was starting to take a liking towards him.

Rinsing the thick shampoo lather from his brown locks Tsuna remained under the spray of scalding water in hopes that it would wash away or drown his thoughts.

What was he thinking? That was impossible. Well, maybe not impossible, but definitely impossible for Tsuna. No one liked him that much. Actually there was hardly anyone who did seeing as how useless he was typically. He could hear his mother chide him in an upset voice.

_There you go putting yourself down again; you can't improve if you don't look up a little_.

Besides, he liked Kyoko.

His inner conscience decided to speak up.

_But you're also starting to like Hibari too, aren't you?_

Of course he wasn't. Kyoko was way better.

_How so?_

She's cute.

_Hibari's good-looking._

She's kind.

_He's been pretty kind to you too as of late_.

She's got a nice smile.

_I'm sure he has a nice smile too; I bet you could make him smile_.

She's a nice person.

_That's because she's nice to everyone in general. Hibari's nice to you because you're _you.

She's a girl.

_And that matters why? Face it; you've been in more _intimate_ situations with Hibari than with anyone else_.

…

_I bet you liked it too_.

Unwilling to continue his mental dispute, Tsuna let out a frustrated sigh and ducked out of the spray, turning around so it ran down his small back so as to sooth the tense muscles. He let another sigh, this time in relief. In the back of his mind he could've sworn he heard a door opening and closing somewhere. He shrugged it off and twisted the knobs that controlled the flow of water shut with great reluctance.

Wrapping a small white towel around his waist he slid the standing shower stall door open and stepped out of the thick steam. The ash gray throw rug soaked up the moisture dripping off of him as he shook a few water drops from his wet hair and face.

Maybe he could take a quick dip in the ofuro while he was at it. Earlier, while struggling to undo the blue cloth belt that held his wet yukata closed, he took a peek under the cover on the deep tub to find it half filled. He was about to drop his waist towel to the floor when someone spoke.

"Are you coming in?"

Tsuna whipped around towards the sound of the voice. If his face wasn't already red from the intense scrubbing, it would be streaked crimson now. This was becoming quite the habit.

"Hi-Hibari-san?!"

In a desperate attempt to protect his decency he flung his arms around himself to hug his dripping wet torso. Realizing that wasn't actually doing anything he changed to burying his burning face in his hands and turning around.

"W-what are you doing in here?"

"Taking a bath."

Other than the obvious that is, like why was _he_ in there when he was too?

"Don't stand there all day. You're going to catch a cold."

"B-but…"

"Do I have to come and get you?"

And have him leave the tub possibly naked?! No way!

"Alright! I'm coming!" he conceded, strolling hastily to the tub's edge. He was keeping his towel no matter what the other thought. Hibari watched his antics with a mildly amused gaze whilst leaning against his hand propped against the edge.

Gingerly Tsuna took one step in only to find it was deeper than he had first thought. He was instantly steadied by a firm grasp to his wrist.

"Thanks…" he mumbled, lifting his other leg in. He sat down as quickly as he dared, the water level rising to flood over the brim and into the strategically built drain. Tucking his legs close to his body in a defensive curl, he settled in for the long awkward silence that was sure to come.

To pass the time Tsuna stared into the murky green depths of the bath water that was so rich with natural minerals it was nearly opaque. Either the healing qualities of the liquid were actually taking effect or the heat was getting to him as Tsuna soon found himself completely relaxed in the presence of the other man who also seemed less tense than his usual self.

Relaxed enough to breach a topic he'd been avoiding like the plague.

"Um, Hibari-san?"

"Hmm?"

"What did you mean by 'taking care of me'?"

"Exactly what it means."

"Oh…why?"

"Because…" Hibari paused here. What was the reason for why he had said that?

"Because…?" the brunet prompted.

"…I'm not sure," he answered honestly. His expression was perplexed as well. Though it was unclear as to whether he was baffled towards his lack of reason or his honest confession. Perhaps it was both.

Tsuna couldn't find any energy in himself to pry so he instead sank deeper into the warm water suddenly feeling very lethargic. He couldn't even yawn to show it. Hopefully he wouldn't drown in his sleep.

But, he thought, Hibari did promise to take care of him so if he did fall asleep then and there he'd probably get saved. With that thought in mind his eyes started to droop as he felt his eyelids grow heavy with fatigue in spite of himself.

He might've fallen asleep at that very moment if it hadn't been for the fact that Hibari had suddenly decided he was done with the ofuro. With the stupor banished from his mind from the disturbance in the bath, Tsuna flung his hands out of the water to cover his eyes.

"W-wait!" Had he no decency?!

Of course, he didn't make it in time and could make out Hibari's figure through the gaps in his fingers. Unable to control himself, his eyes traced a trail down a defined torso, overall pale skin…

…and a soaking towel wrapped snug around his waist.

Tsuna could make out the amused smirk Hibari gave him as he dried himself off with the larger towel, folded and sitting on the sink's ledge. He could barely hold in his scream of disbelief.

_Argh!_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

It was late into the night but the occupants of the tiny office were charged with some unknown energy that allowed them to work through the evening hours without stopping. Basil helped by preparing several pots of tea which seemed to have became an extension to his arm as he hadn't released the handle since several hours ago. The moment a single cup was remotely empty, he'd be there to fill it to the brim with more scalding hot tea.

They were all hunched over an open map; discussing several operations in rushed, low tones to each other as if afraid they'd be overheard. Once in a while someone would make a scribble with a black marker on the clear plastic pane placed over it. At others, someone would scrub a line out with a dish towel.

It was at that moment that the rarely used phone on Gokudera's desk rang shrilly, snapping out of their inhuman concentration.

"Are you expecting a call?" Reborn asked towards Gokudera who was warming his hands with a cup of Darjeeling.

He shook his head in response.

Frowning, Reborn hopped over and pressed a dust covered button to put it on speakers, motioning for everyone else to remain silent.

"Hello?"

"Good Evening, Arcobaleno." The rough low voice was unmistakably Xanxus's. Yamamoto clamped his hand around Gokudera's mouth before he could start spewing insults off the top of his head but it was clear that the baseball player was not happy to hear that voice again either.

"Xanxus, what do you want?"

A cold, impersonal laugh rattled through the speaker piece.

"I'll cut to the point since I don't want to waste my breath."

"What the boss means is, he's got a hold of something he thinks you'd be interesting in," another voice piped up. The words pronounced in the masculine voice with a feminine tone could only mean it was Lussuria.

"Something I'd be interested in?"

"Exactly." This time it was Marmon.

"Vooooi! Just get it over with! You timewasters!" they could hear Squallo yelling furiously in the background. Then louder, as he'd probably gotten closed to the mouthpiece, he said,

"We've got two brats here, a girly and a boy. They wandered here throwing themselves on us and apparently, they know you. Say hi!" There was some scuffling noises and some static.

"R-reborn? Is that you?" A quivering voice asked. It was male but mature enough to assume he wasn't a mere youth. Possibly a teenager.

"Who is this?" Reborn demanded. He had a nagging feeling that this voice was familiar.

"Well, w-who are you?! You can't be Reborn! Y-you sound like…like a baby!"

Reborn's frown deepened. Was this some kind of a joke?

"W-well, pass this message on to the real Reborn, tell him that he's a jerk and that this is all his fault! An-and when I see him again I'm going to blow him in a million pieces!"

"This isn't time for your one-sided rivalry!" This time it was a feminine voice, tinged lightly with an accent. "Reborn! What's going on? These guys are acting all wei-"

"It's not your turn to speak yet, brat!" Squallo barked.

"If my hands and legs weren't bound-"

There was lot of shuffling noises and a couple of high pitched squeaks before someone else spoke.

Free from Yamamoto's clutches, Gokudera moved next to the desk at Reborn's side.

"What amateurs," he scoffed. "If they're going to play the hostage bargaining game, they have to have hostages that we actually know!"

Reborn however was in deep thought as the line remained silent for a while. It was inconceivable. Ludicrous.

But possible.

"No…it can't be…"

Gokudera looked at Reborn, confused.

"Do you know them, Reborn-san?"

With a controlled voice, Reborn spoke into the speaker piece.

"Lambo? I-pin?"

"The Chinese kid and the idiot cow?!" But Reborn ignored Gokudera's disbelieving outburst as he waited for a reply.

"Took you long enough, you idiot! If you don't get us out of here, I'll kill you!"

"We'll be making the threats here, brat! And stop snivelling all over my boots!"

"Let Lambo go! I don't know why you guys are acting like this but quit it!"

"It's not in your place to talk, girly, now shut it!"

"Now, now, don't talk like _that_, Squallo. You have to be _gentle_ with children."

"What is the meaning of this, Xanxus?!" Reborn said into the speaker.

"Don't listen to them, Reborn! This might be a tra-"

"I _told_ you to shut it!" There was a crash in the background.

"I-pin!"

There was silence and the next person to speak was Xanxus once more.

"So, what do you think? We're open for bargaining and since it seems you've got your hands full at the moment from _recent_ events I'll allow you the honour of deciding the date. Ciao."

There was a click and the line went dead.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Far away, unaware of all that was going on, Tsuna stood by his lonesome in Hibari's bathroom. Clad in yet another yukata (completely identical to the last yet again) Tsuna gave his hair one last ruffle with a towel before discarding it in the nearby hamper. He tugged at a damp lock of brown hair with a pout.

He wondered if he should go to bed with wet hair even though his mother had always forbidden it. Still the bath had left him exhausted. Besides he hadn't even eaten dinner yet. How many meals had he skipped up to now?

Wandering over to the grand bed not caring that it was already occupied, he collapsed on top of the plush quilts with the last of his strength. An arm flopped over his shoulder, providing a little warmth as he fell into a deep, comfortable sleep.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: Yeah…I sort of made Gokkun a jerk with his snide comments (actually I think it's the nicotine withdrawal, I mean, he _was_ a chain smoker pretty much) and the other characters don't get much screen time unfortunately. But look on the bright side; we have a new twist to the plot! I-pin and Lambo! (I really like I-pin, Lambo too.) Next chapter we break through the fluff…though it starts with fluff and we get back to the plot and work towards the climax so stay tuned! Oh and yeah, Tsuna talks to himself in his head. He's officially crazy but that's okay. He'll still have Hibari-san's love. :_slapped_:

_Meru's beta note_: Two chapters in less than an hour beta'd. I feel accomplished. 83 I like baths. D: I want Hibari-san's. It makes me sleepy just thinking about it. 3

**Thank you for reading and I'm dearly sorry for the delay. I've been on some insane drawing drive so I would appreciate if I'm excused. Please feel free to bloat my ego even more while you're down here at the bottom of the chapter. And once again thank you.**


	11. Contemplating

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: August 11, 2008

End Date: September 1, 2008

**WARNINGS**: Possible (evident) OOCness. Minor Dark themes. Nicotine withdrawal?

_A/Ns_: Whoa, I wrote another chapter. Fancy that. Turns out that video game trauma makes excellent motivation for fanfiction writing. You can thank my brother and Tales of Vesperia for this. And my beta. The beta literally controls the flow of chapter updates because I never post without having the chapter read through by a beta. THANK HER DAMMIT. NO ONE THANKS THE BETAS EVER. (With one exception) What's with that?! Oh and it's Yam's (other beta) birthday today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FOO'.

Notes: As most fans of the series should already know, maman is one of the several Italian variations for the word mother. It's also what Reborn (and several others in the series) call Tsuna's mom.

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_Akuno Hikari_: :3. It makes me so happy that I have dedicated readers like you. :_unworthy_: DDDD:. Too bad about your gum. Maybe they ran away when they heard you coming. Into your sister's room.

_funkysirius_: W. T. F. !. When did you start reading my fanfics?! No srsly, when did you start reading my fanfics?! And that chapter too…oh god. Wtf.

_Estrella85_: Yeah, I-pin and Lambo need more love. :3. Though they get very little in this fic. :_sigh_:

_-w- easy enough_: And the wait is no longer! I just keep piling on the mysteries, don't I? This is one jumble of unresolved problems. Oh dears.

_Kai_: It's very simple. The numbers are derived from their names. Tsu (like the Japanese pronunciation for the English 2) is 2 and Na (Short for nana, Japanese for 7) is 7. Thus Tsuna is 27. All the other ones follow a similar sort of pattern. That's why Tsuna's gloves (in mitten form) has the number 27 on them.

_Hikari the Keyblade of Hope_: Did you really? I would think that Colonello wouldn't cry like I made Lambo do in that chapter though. Unfortunately Colonello won't actually appear in person in this fic and Lal and the Future Arc characters won't appear in this.

_firedraygon_: All in good time but first for some er…angst. Or something. Before we hit the climax. It's nice to see the bond developing than just jumping straight into a story with them already in love. Though I love those kind of stories all the same. XD. I just like elaborately played out explanations for the way they act. D:. Of course, it's still a twitchy sort of relationship which might get worse before it gets better.

_wind-master-redmoon_: XD. If they were caught by Hibari-san, they would be chucked into the dungeon without a moment's thought. And then his relationship with Tsuna would become so strained, it would get so messed up. Oh dears. Tsuna's all ignorant right now though. I guess it's sort of relaxing(?) for him right now since he only has to worry about one (big) problem instead of fifty million.

_CelticAngelWings_: Ah, Xanxus…he's such an irrational dummy. His character in this is pretty much the same as in the original story, he's still trying to undermine Tsuna's rightful position unjustly. Where he succeed or not, well, that's for later.

Thanks and lots of love also to Lady Tatum, RuByMoOn17, Tsuki no Akebono, GoddesofWrath, Doseimotsuko, IcedCandy, and Niki-Uni.

**(Scroll down for the story! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter Ten – Contemplating

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"What are we going to do?"

"About what?" Reborn said with a touch of irritation edging his voice. His terse retort spoke volumes. It had been a long night.

Correction, Reborn thought with a sullen smile. Long _nights._ Plural.

"About the Chinese brat and the idiot cow, of course, Reborn-san," Gokudera reiterated with a worried frown. "_If_ they are who they say they are, which I still can't believe."

"What's there to understand? That Xanxus guy has two of your friends so we're going to get them back, right?" Yamamoto said, a little confused by what the problem could be. He scratched his cheek deep in thought.

A short, polite cough directed their attention to the slender boy with honey-brown hair who smiled meekly under their combined gazes. His hands were a stark bloodless white and trembling after he managed to part from the tea pot.

"Am I correct in understanding that the two you and Gokudera-dono are speaking of is I-pin and Lambo?" he inquired slowly, his blue eyes searching Reborn's steely black ones for answers.

"Yes, that is correct. Two listed potentials too."

"Potentials?" Yamamoto asked.

"Potentials are persons that the clans of our world scout as valuable future clan members. After close observations, potentials are approached and are usually given the choice of being turned," Bianchi inputted with an intelligent air. She tucked a lock of red-hued hair behind her ear with the air of an aristocrat and gave him a reproving look. "It's not that hard of a concept to remember, Takeshi Yamamoto."

"There's no need to badger him, Bianchi," Reborn chided from position on top of Gokudera's polished desk. "In the short time Yamamoto has been in our _company_ there were few chances to fill him on the finer details of how clans operate."

"No offense taken, little guy," Yamamoto said offhandedly before his expression grew dark and grave. "What do you mean by 'usually given'?"

The Italian woman scoffed elegantly, crossing her legs and fixed him in her sharp gaze.

"If I must spell it out for you, it means that there are clans who have no qualms with turning humans without consent so as to bolster their power selectively."

The amber-eyed teen felt an uncontrollable shiver run down the length of his spine. He rubbed his arms to circulate some warm blood into them.

"Yes, I-pin and Lambo are scouted potentials by order of the Vongola and the choice will be made available. Moving along there's only one problem with this situation," Reborn continued, turning his back to them.

Gokudera, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, nodded curtly. He looked marginally troubled by his thoughts.

"The problem is that the I-pin and Lambo we know are only five years old."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tsuna woke the next morning to a familiar warmth encompassing him. Blinking his hazy chocolate brown eyes clear of sleep, he looked down to confirm his thoughts.

His vision was immediately blinded by a mop of silky onyx black locks as Hibari had taken the liberty to haphazardly attach himself to the smaller boy's midriff in an awkward hold. His yukata had rumpled and shifted in his sleep enough so that the raven haired teen was pressing his face against the exposed expanse of his neck and collar area.

Tickled by Hibari's hair against his nose, Tsuna resisted the urge to sneeze and wiggled a little in an attempt to get the stiffness out of his joints.

Somehow he couldn't bring himself to care about this compromising position as much as he did yesterday for reasons he could not readily explain. It was a wonder how someone with such a formidable presence and reputation in public could be so clingy in private, especially to a nobody like him. Then again, it could just be a subconscious thing.

Sliding his eyelids closed, he remembered the brief encounters he'd had with Hibari in the past. There was never a time where something hadn't ended badly and he knew it was biased against just himself. He'd often overhear his gossipy classmates discuss recent cases involving the school's Disciplinary Committee. It was no secret that the Head Prefect and President of the organization ran the members like the mafia. No one could begin to guess the reason behind the undying devotion and loyalty the prefects had for Hibari as he never favoured them in any way either.

Tsuna flinched as he felt the tips of Hibari's sharp canines drag over his bare skin but relaxed when there was no further action. He heard the older teen mumble something in his slumber, the word vibrating through his body in ripples from the very point where his lips were pressed against him.

_Mine_.

The brunet tensed as the silk-clothed arms that were curled around him tightened; light, even breaths tingled against his uncovered flesh.

Being strangely empathetic, Tsuna caught more than just the sound of word. He could hear the slight undertone of an emotion that was no stranger to him, barely muffled by the sleepy slur.

Loneliness.

Memories and experiences from before Reborn's unforeseen arrival gushed out from the inner recesses of his mind, flooding his mind with images and flickers of emotion.

"_Bye, Tsuna! Thanks for taking care of things for us!" his classmate yelled from the sliding door of the classroom with a malevolent grin. He turned to shout something to a noisy crowd of departing people in the hallway._

_"B-but-" The clack of the door being slammed shut cut off the rest of Tsuna's weak protest._

_After a few moments of dead silence, he grudgingly scraped together the last of his wavering energy and dragged the sopping mop across the classroom floor. He didn't even feel angry, already used to this sort of treatment._

_Still, even he had to admit that his complete lack of protest and his acceptance of it all was pathetic._

_Oh, good. He'd lived up to his nickname for the day, he thought grimly. Lucky him._

_He lifted the mop head and dunked it unceremoniously into the murky depths of the metal bucket. Dirty water sloshed over the brim and splattered across the clean linoleum._

_Sitting on the teacher's podium at the front of the room was a small porcelain vase of white daisies. The delicate flowers had wilted over the hours, laying limp and sucked empty of life._

_Dead._

_Tsuna blinked._

_He wasn't so different than those flowers. Like them, he was just one of hundreds of millions, not special in any particular way. Like them, he started out vibrant and innocent, untainted by the cruelties of world. Like them, time had passed by slowly, inching towards the inevitable end. Like them, he started to wilt, unable to hold out against the meddling fingers of fate._

_Like them he was alone, left behind in the same empty classroom._

_The brunet snatched up the lifeless flowers with sharp movement, crushing the plants carelessly between the tightly furled fingers of his fist. With a vicious motion he threw them into the empty wastebasket and turned to leave the classroom._

_Like them, it was only time before someone noticed how dead and useless he was and threw him out._

_Following that was the usual blank period in his day where he paid no notice to anything as he trudged on home. A Math test lay crumpled in the bottom of his bag, squashed irregularly by several of his workbooks. Bright red ink Xs peppered the page with a curvy familiar 8 scribbled at the top._

_Tsuna sighed and let the tension run out of him as the sight of his front gate brought him out of his accustomed stupor. The cool temperature of the metal fence bit into his warm hand as he pushed it open with a creak. With his head bowed he caught sight of his mother's slipper-ed feet at the door._

_He looked up to confront his mother's guaranteed displeasure (probably after receiving yet another phone call from his homeroom teacher) but was astonished to find an excited smile plastered on her tired face._

_"Tsu-kun! You're finally home! I was getting a little worried. I'd like you meet someone."_

_Tsuna cast his gaze downward again, following his mother's hand gesture. A small boy in a pressed black suit and matching Fedora had stepped out into the dying light of the sunset. His pitch-black eyes glittered with something foreign; his lips curled in a coy smirk._

_"From today on, this will be your home tutor, Tsu-kun! His name is Reborn."_

_"Um…hello," Tsuna greeted, his brows knitted in slight confusion. He shrugged it off without another thought, too exhausted to reason with the situation. "Anyways, Mom, I'll be in my room…doing stuff, so don't disturb me, okay?"_

_"But-, Tsuna! Don't be so rude to our guest!" Nana reprimanded with a pout as her wayward son brushed passed her on his way to the stairs. "I'm sorry, Reborn-kun. He's been like that for a while now; I just don't know what to do with him."_

_Reborn smiled reassuringly up at her._

_"Don't worry about it, Maman. I'll talk to him."_

_Upstairs, Tsuna was stretched out on his single sized bed still clad in his school uniform and staring abysmally at the cracks on his white-washed ceiling. He didn't react when his bedroom door opened and closed a moment later nor did he say anything when the drawn curtains were pulled open. Someone cleared their throat, demanding his attention._

_"Go away, kid, I don't want to play right now."_

_"Play, is it?"_

_White hot pain shot through his arm suddenly. With reflexes he never had, he batted his injured arm at his assailant and leapt onto his short table with a hiss. The foldable furniture creaked in protest but held up his undersized weight._

_The room, the bedroom he'd had for eight years running, suddenly appeared different as if he was seeing it from a whole new perspective. Everything became bolder, more pronounced and defined. Small details popped out at him, like the spider web crack on the coat of paint on his desk. His eyesight expanded fully to include everything in his peripheral vision, stretching his view of the world into widescreen. He could even pick apart distinct colours of objects laden heavily in shadows._

_There was a small black figure standing on his desk silhouetted against the fiery orange sunlight but his enhanced sight made it effortless to distinguish who it was._

_Reborn licked a speck of blood off his small but incredibly sharp canines, looking down on Tsuna with a pleased expression._

_"A better reaction than I had expected. Impressive."_

_"Who…what?"_

_"I suppose we'll have to work on your vocabulary though." he commented, petting the reptile perched on the brim of his hat absentmindedly._

_"This is…" Tsuna forced his eyes to glance down at his arm which was still throbbing in the back of his mind. He gritted his teeth and felt a sense of vertigo, blinking to keep his head straight._

_He spotted twin pinpricks on his unblemished skin, welling with crimson blood. It wasn't hard to put together._

_"No…no way…" This was too incredible to be true._

_"I assure you, it's exactly as you see it," Reborn said as though reading his mind. "I am a vampire but…"_

_Tsuna narrowed his eyes which were burning from the rays of the fading sunset as he waited for him to finish the sentence._

_"…so are you. In a way."_

_"B-but, but that's…"_

_"Impossible? Preposterous? Insane even?"_

_"W-well, yeah."_

_"Want to find out for yourself? I have all the answers," the little vampire baited, holding his arms behind his back in a professional manner. "You just have to ask the right questions."_

_Tsuna bit down on his lip thoughtfully and tasted coppery blood as he accidentally pierced the tender flesh. He hissed from the pain but ignored it._

_"What do you say, Tsunayoshi Sawada?"_

_It was like his whole life was passing by his eyes in a turbo speed slideshow yet he was still managing to comprehend it, something he thought could only happen in movies during those cliché 'just-before-you-die' scenes. This was his chance to break away from it. There was no hesitation in his reply._

_"Yes."_

_"Good," the little vampire said. He turned on his heels and jumped out the window wordlessly beckoning him to follow._

_He'd given his answer. There was no turning back now. He can regret all later._

_And with that he had taken his first step into the darkness._

The vividness of the memory dimmed as Tsuna shook his head.

Hibari's loneliness was different from his own.

The stoic Head Prefect wasn't useless or weak in any way. He would've never given in to those sorry excuses for classmates nor would he have sat back and let it happen over and over.

There were just too many aspects that deepened the fine line between Tsuna and Hibari, depicting them as near polar opposites. But the loneliness that touched them was something Tsuna felt he could understand.

Hibari had embraced his solitude knowingly for his conditional love of the ever expanding Namimori and the Middle School building bearing the same name. His unyielding devotion was something no one could ever understand, driving him to use the most extreme measures to protect it.

Chewing on his bottom lip, Tsuna brought his arms together to hug Hibari's shoulders in what he hoped was a comforting manner. He never had to comfort anyone before, seeing as he hadn't have friends or anything. He sighed and pressed his cheek against the slumbering teen's soft ebony hair.

He hoped someday there'd be someone who could offer their hand and help Hibari escape his loneliness too, just as Reborn had done for him. He hoped Hibari would see enough reason to take that hand.

Giving Hibari a gentle squeeze, Tsuna snorted as a few of Reborn's choice words floated into his mind.

He really was too soft for his own good.

But he still couldn't abandon someone who he knew was in pain.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Are you really just going to place the problem aside like that, Reborn?"

"I know what I'm doing, Dino. It's for the best."

The blond man ruffled his hair in a frustrated manner, leaning against the wall by the latched window. He observed the room's other occupants with a grim expression.

"It's amazing how they can just keep working like that," he commented with a trace of a smirk. "I guess that's the power of youth." He gave a short laugh. "Makes me feel kind of old."

The small glass coffee table had transformed into their conference table, completely hidden by a large detailed diagram of the Hibari compounds and several other text-heavy documents. Basil was repeatedly tucking his honey brown locks behind his ears as he thumbed through a stack of papers for the umpteenth time, glancing every couple of seconds at the overlay map.

Pouring over the map itself, Yamamoto was on his knees, hovering over the systematic lines and writing on top of a plastic sheet placed over it with circles and arrows. Every now and then he would frown in concentration and run a hand through his short black hair. Sitting directly opposite, Ryohei was arguing fervently whilst jabbing his bandaged fingers at certain areas on the map. The two of them looked very much like they were in the middle of a heated discussion over various sports strategies. Bianchi, who remained seated on the two-person sofa, was taking sips from her cup of tea while interrupting at intervals to make a statement.

"So…very young," Dino continued, shoving his hands into the deep pockets of his jacket as he turned his head away so Reborn couldn't see his expression.

"This is how our world works, Dino. There's nothing in existence that can ever change this. Not back to what it could've been."

"I know. It's just…sometimes I can't help hoping that this was really some sort of dream. Some sort of…fantasy in someone's head and that all _this _could be over with just one single thought. Kind of crazy, yeah."

"Let me reassure you that you're not the only one who's thought of that. Wiser, ancient vampires of our clans have covered that possibility before."

An amused twinkle sparkled in Dino's brown eyes briefly.

"How old are you again?"

Reborn gave a dignified snort as a reply and crossed his arms.

A clatter came from the large wooden desk as Gokudera dropped his ballpoint pen abruptly. With a frazzled look of disbelief he snatched it back up and continued to scribble furiously on his sleek black clipboard. The papers that littered his workspace were covered in what were obviously complicated, detailed plans but the half-Italian didn't show signs of interest in sharing his ideas with the others.

"Quite the loner, that one."

"We'll sort that out in good time."

Gokudera's writing hand had decreased in speed gradually as to prevent another episode from occurring but the slower the pen moved across the page the more evident it became that his hand was shaking uncontrollably. In a matter of seconds the pen had escaped his grip, falling to the ground to join several other writing utensils of the same kind.

Dino and Reborn watched with placid interest as Gokudera gave a grunt of exasperation before throwing his desk drawer open and pulling out a new ballpoint. His hand was still quivering though marginally less than before.

"Um…" Dino said with a raised eyebrow. "Think I should phone a couple of my boys and have them raid a convenience store for some smokes? He looks like he could really use a few right now."

"Hmm…" Reborn hummed thoughtfully.

There was something that was a little off…

"But back to the point, I'm not sure it's the wisest idea to let the Varia keep their hands on those two kids for too long. Both you and I are no strangers to how ruthless and cruel they can be."

"Like I said, I know what I'm doing, Dino. Why do you think I'm an Arcobaleno? As much as it bothers me, this is the safest and surest plan if we're aiming for a high success rate. There's a risky gamble but that's how life is. You get some and then you lose some along the way."

"Still…I'm just saying."

"I appreciate your sentiments, Dino, but I assure you, it's better to keep the operation as simple as possible by tackling one problem at a time. We'd only be straining our abilities and resources if we split our group up. There's no better option."

"I hope you're right, Reborn…it's real sad to see people this young suffering so much already. I don't think they could handle anymore than this."

Arguments at the coffee table had peaked as their voices rose in volume. Basil was in the middle of it all, acting fruitlessly as some sort of mediator. A clink of China informed that a teacup had been knocked off the table from their arm movements.

"We'll be ready in a few days, I suspect. Two minimum."

"That soon? Aren't you overestimating their ability a little, Reborn? I mean, they're…"

"They've got the resources, the potential, and the skills. All they have to do is bring it all together."

"I doubt Gokudera there will join in the tea party any time soon."

"He's already aware of the strain he's going through. He's a smart guy. He'll realize that he needs to contribute."

"With what motivation other than frustration and stress? He looks like the type who holds pride above all and won't cooperate until the last possible moment."

"He has a tight bond with Tsuna. One that goes far back, farther than what I had first expected. It'll be enough."

"And what about I-pin and Lambo? How long can they last under the scrutiny of the Varia? Those two held captive are much different from the two you know and I don't mean just in age."

"They'll hold on long enough. They weren't scouted as potentials for nothing."

"I guess you're right about that. I can tell that the girl won't go down without a fight for sure."

"Though he might not sound like it, Lambo was born a blood child. Half-blood to be more accurate. I suspect the current age he's at is nearing a full initiation."

"You scouted a blood child? What about his own clan?"

"His clan has given full permission to bring him into the Vongola. No doubt hoping to strengthen their alliance with us. After all, the Bovino is appallingly small in number."

Stroking his smooth chin, deep in contemplation, Dino nodded slowly in agreement. It made sense.

"But how is he…and that girl I-pin, was it?"

_The elevator rushed up and opened to greet them with a soft ping. They piled in as soon as the two ruffled workers in white lab coats scurried out at the sight of them._

Reborn frowned at that memory as a thought came to him.

"I have a sinking suspicion that this is the handiwork of Verde but I don't have any concrete evidence to prove it."

"I won't ask. Regardless, I feel a little…guilty by not actively helping them when we know this much."

"This is the best we can do for those two right now."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Hibari opened his icy blue eyes as he withdrew from Tsuna's exposed neck after a short meal of blood. He watched mesmerized for a moment as the crimson liquid began trickling out of the two wounds inflicted by his canines. With a blink at his lack of control, he bent his head down, hands gripping the smaller boy's shoulders firmly, and lapped it up while applying a natural healing enzyme on the marks. They closed up without a scar, leaving an angry red hue where he had bitten him.

Pushing the boy a short ways away from him, Hibari was not surprised when Tsuna's head lulled forward like a rag doll, evidently deep in sleep. Tenderly he set him down onto the mattress and laid on his side next to him, observing him as he slept.

Tsuna snored lightly, his cheeks a healthy rose colour in spite of the fact that he'd just been fed on.

Several days had passed since Tsuna had first arrived, delivered to Hibari's feet like some sort of exotic pet. It had been days since Hibari had been back to his work, pushing his duties to Kusakabe.

Hibari frowned at this thought.

Work had always been a double-edged sword for him. While it meant that some ignorant hooligan was trying to mess around his school and town, it always gave him a sweet satisfaction when he dealt with them thoroughly. The way they cringed in terror after he made sure that they wouldn't even dream of doing something similar ever again was often the highlight of his day.

It did get boring from time to time. Those who defied him became scarce as the years went by and those that did were weak and hardly deigned worthy of his time or effort. Life began to turn routine and mundane without an opponent who could send a thrill coursing through his veins.

But this Tsunayoshi Sawada... Hibari watched as the boy's diminutive torso rose and fell with his breath. He was an intriguing specimen.

He could bring to mind the few memories he had of this young teenager in the Nami-B building. He was abysmal at his studies and terribly uncoordinated during physical education classes out on the field which Hibari often observed in case one of them destroyed a piece of his property.

He was the runt, the easy victim, the obvious prey. Virtually everyone saw him as that and didn't hold back when degrading his lack of abilities or his low quiz marks. He was the bottom feeder, the last one of the food chain.

The weakest of all herbivores.

Yet somehow this herbivore had become intertwined in the affairs of vampires. Perhaps it was merely a twist of fate that allowed this to happen, but it did not explain the incident shortly after the first feeding.

He recalled the first savory taste of the brunet's warm blood on his tongue and the fear that froze his tiny body. He remembered the astonishing strength of the small hands that shoved him away and the feral vampiric glint in the narrowed chocolate brown eyes.

The little herbivore had cleverly slipped underneath his guard, feigning as an innocent, feeble prey before allowing a glimpse of his predator instincts to come to light. It might've been a fluke but it was no act. No mere human could throw him across the room like that.

Hibari licked his lips subconsciously as he felt the phantom tingle of the adrenaline that jolted into his system the moment the boy's hands connected with his chest.

To his disappointment it hadn't happened again but he found his interest in the small teen grow as time passed. It was a curious development- one that Hibari had trouble figuring out.

Still, this so-called development was causing him to do strange things time and again.

He had pardoned the death of three herbivores. He had abandoned his duties in favour of Tsunayoshi's company. He had held a herbivore close when he was not feeding upon it. He had enjoyed teasing and baiting the boy during the last few days. He was currently watching him sleep for little to no reason.

All these predicaments were baffling as it was.

If he had not decided on a whim to keep him, all these things might not have occurred. Somewhere inside him he felt glad that he made the choice but a nagging voice within him insisted that he was being tied down.

Hibari reached forward and began to ease the handful of silk sheets out of Tsuna's clutching hands so there was no longer a risk of them being torn. Tsuna's expression scrunched into some sort of a cross between a grimace and a pout as he clung onto the fabric in his sleep.

There was something about him that made Hibari want to keep him away from the prying eyes of others even if it meant locking himself and the brunet in the confinements of his tower bed chambers.

It was fine with him as Tsunayoshi seemed to be getting use to his presence, becoming less hesitant to join him at the table for meals or in the ofuro for a long soak. It even seemed as though he was becoming more accustomed to the feedings as well.

Yes, he could continue living like this. For a while.

Dino's words drifted into his thoughts momentarily_._

_Birds are meant to fly and mingle in the sky, Kyouya_.

An ugly feeling welled up in his gut area as he felt his blood plummet in temperature. He had never felt this way before but he was able to recognize it immediately.

Fear.

Hibari's knuckles grew ghostly white as his hands curled tightly into fists.

Why was he afraid?

Did he fear that his little blood slave would get up and leave him one day?

Why did he even keep him around in the first place?

It couldn't be because of the ready, willing fresh supply of delicious blood.

It couldn't be the sense of companionship it brought, as he was disgusted with it.

It couldn't be the soft touches and timid embraces he could feel while half-asleep.

Hibari busied himself with tugging the pillowcase corner out from between Tsuna's migrating fingers. The white-silver band of metal on his pinky glinted in the light.

That's right. That ring was a symbol of his ownership over him. It marked him deeper than any tattoo. He had nothing to fear.

Because Dino was wrong.

Tsunayoshi had no need for freedom.

All he needed was him and him alone.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"We're finally ready," Reborn concluded, peering up from the elaborately drawn plans. He scanned the tired but eager faces surrounding the foot-high table. Gokudera was kneeling at one end, his fists clenched in his lap out of sight.

Dino let out an impressed whistle.

"This is quite a piece of work you managed to rustle up there."

"In the given time, it's a commendable accomplishment if I may say so myself," Basil added with a nod of approval.

"And all that's left is actually doing it, right?" Yamamoto asked, his amber-yellow eyes darting from face to face in his excitement.

"That would be the most important part, Takeshi Yamamoto."

"Now's not the time, Bianchi. I must stress that every one of you must prepare yourself for this operation. A single mistake could prove fatal to this plan but if my intuition is correct and everything goes accordingly it should be a sight near flawless."

Everyone inclined their heads as one with dour resolution. Gokudera's fatigued, bloodshot eyes flickered to look out his office window, strands of silver-gray hair hung limply about his face. His voice was thick as he said,

"The rain has stopped."

True to his word, the rain had finally come to an end after several days of relentless downpour. The gray overcast was starting to clear up and the glass of the window no longer rattled from the battering of the wind.

"Great! Then the weather won't hinder our chances for victory!" Ryohei exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air. The others seemed to share his view on the matter.

"No, that's not exactly right."

"What is it now, Reborn?" Bianchi inquired, leaning in close to catch his response.

"This is merely the calm before the storm."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Mukuro-sama."

Mukuro turned his head to smile at the stoic teen in the forest green Kokuyo Uniform and white knitted cap. He strode over to the front entrance of the decrepit building, kicking an empty water bottle into a pile of rubble on his way.

He observed the last of the rain drops hit the ground as the weather outside calmed to a standstill.

"It's time, Chikusa. Tell Ken he needn't stay in the cellar any longer."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Tsunayoshi."

The brunet blinked owlishly at being addressed in such a straight-forward manner. In the past day Hibari had finally returned to his work, disappearing for a few hours. It suited him just fine as there was no reason for the raven haired man to keep his company for ever.

"Yes?"

Hibari felt that revolting feeling in his body again, draining his body of strength. He was already regretting his decision but seized control of his body and voice with an iron fist.

He would pull through with this.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"I want all of you to get a good night's rest and there will be no skimping on meals. Every one of you will receive a dose of fresh blood for security."

Yamamoto paled at the proposal but didn't voice his discomfort.

Reborn gave everyone a stern look in the eye that illustrated the gravity of their situation.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"We're finally going out-byon?!"

"Kufufu, that's right, Ken. Tomorrow to be exact."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"We strike tomorrow."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"…the summer festival is tomorrow. Will you come along, Tsunayoshi?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: Ajkjklsjflf. I'm done. Oh god. I wrote nine pages in one day…and it's now 1 in the morning. Oh dears. So we're finally approaching the climax! Ain't that great news?! That means this crappy story is coming to an end soon! Yeah! Anyways, there were a lot of dark themes in this chapter as we took a peek into the inner depths of Tsuna's and Hibari-san's mind. I hope they were somewhat in character there, I wrote most of this on auto-drive and Tsuna's memory flashback wasn't planned at all. (But the ending, omg, so out of character, gah.) In case you are still confused, I'd like to clarify that just before Hibari-san's scene a couple days have passed since the previous scene. I'm not quite sure when summer festivals are normally held but I'm pretty sure they are usually held during the end of summer break which I don't know the length of as it's different for trimesters thus the ambiguous 'several' days. We've really gone far on this story and I'm hoping I'll hit 200 reviews before this fic is over! Think you guys can help?!

_Meru's Beta Note_: Awww, Hibari :'D That's so cuuuute :_heart_: And aww, Ankaris :_heart_: I'm really quite enjoying being the first to read this (whether it's to beta or not), so I really don't need thank-yous. x/x; I-I mean.. D: I like them, but they're not necessary. It's kind of a disappointment that this 'fic is almost over, though. :_heartbroken_: I hope to beta future 'fics. :'D.

_Yam's Beta Note: _So much sexual tension. Soooooo much sexual tension. LOL. Kay that wasn't as bad as you thought it was, and for spilling till 1 in the morning. School baby.

**Thank you ever so much for reading! Feel free to bloat the authoress's ego and donate to the Let's-Hit-200-reviews box! All proceeds go to the writing of the next chapter! Hope to write to you soon!**


	12. Commencing

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: September 1, 2008

End Date: September 28, 2008

**WARNINGS**: Possible OOCness. Cotton Candy Fluff. Pineapple Alert! Haru weirdness.

_A/Ns_: SORRY THIS WAS SUPER LATE. After school started I've been repeatedly ignoring this fic because I've been enrolled in a Writing class with a teacher that scares the :_censored_: out of me. Luckily the short story unit is over and we've been starting on screenplays so I'll be able to free myself for about two weeks. To the readers who are alarmed by my 'this story is ending soon', I mean that from here on, the story is pretty much downhill, that is after the peak of the climax. The end is in sight but don't fret, there's at least 6-7 more chapters to go before I get to the epilogue.

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_kai_: It's safe to say there is going to be a 'major' 1827 scene coming up perhaps at the end of the next chapter but there's some fluff in this chapter to enjoy in the meantime. I'm glad you understood although if I have to explain parts of the story to my readers - that means I'm not a very good writer. :_sigh_: Oh well, always room for improvement!

_firedraygon_: I suspect that Hibari-san will never truly figure out his feelings. XD. But that's life for you. As for the rescue, it begins this chapter but it's on the push that gets the rock rolling so don't get your hopes up yet.

_GoddesofWrath_: I see you've seen through Hibari-san pretty clearly but let's not get our hopes up on that last bit. :_wink_:

_Akuno Hikari_: I seem to have very good timing with these chapter releases, don't I? It may be too late but don't sweat about it, the best thing to do if someone accuses you of being a bandwagon girl is to disregard it. If you get roused up and talk back (especially if it's more than one person) there's a chance you'll get overwhelmed (because you're outnumbered, mob psychology (actually that might not be the best way to describe it)). Anyhow, don't get provoked! I'm getting forced to go to the movies because my friend is a fan; I avoided reading the books because of the great let-down that was Harry Potter. Don't want to suffer that disappointment again. (I think I'm becoming quite the advice column here.)

_wind-master-redmoon_: XD…words fail me at the moment. Just promise me not to share what you've just deduced there, mmkay?

_Hikari the Keyblade of Hope:_ I suppose that's one way of seeing it but I don't think Colonello would ever cry though; he would be teasing Lal full throttle if anything. Chrome will be in this, of course, after all you can't have Mukuro without Chrome. And about the story ending thing, as I've explained in my above notes, it's not really that soon.

_Mizuiro Snow_: Yes, I have actually. Flitting is actually a verb for 'to move lightly and swiftly' and 'to fly, dart, or skim along'. I thought it was fitting to keep that for its meaning as well as for the familiarity as I'm pretty sure some people have read Darren Shan.

_CelticAngelWings_: I hope I didn't leave you swooning the whole time. Sorry for not updating sooner, we had some um…difficulties.

_IcedCandy_: Read the author's note for the whole 'end of story' thing. :3. If you will.

_Paio Ichiris Jin_: First let me thank you for taking the step to bloat my ego and to step out of the lurking shadows! Thank you! :3. Second, yes, when I write my fics I see everything in animation. Everything single part is acting out by the little people in my head with all the camera angles, interior wide shots, etc. I try to pack in as much visual as possible, though I suppose it may get a little lengthen and somewhat of a mouthful. I wouldn't say I'm a great writer or anything (because I see so many faults in my writing) but I don't think I can sway your opinion, can I? My vocabulary is rather small compared to some of my classmates but I suppose I can improve it anyways. :3. Just read more, you're bound to come across interesting words to learn. On the topic of future fics, as a matter of fact, I have two fics planned but I'll elaborate in more detail at the end of the epilogue of this fic.

_ChibiVi3tKitsun3_: Soon is not soon. Just feels like soon to me. I have a habit of drawing out ends.

Thanks and lots of love also to saraphim, kyothefallenkit, 131'BlUe-ChEeSe', RuByMoOn17, Doseimotsuko, Retse, Niki-Uni, Rings of Saturn, 15385bic, Ari, Koruyuha, Mirageinnis, lazybones, and Hiki-chan.

**(Scroll down for the story! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter Eleven – Commencing

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tsuna felt slightly overwhelmed by the tight-knit crowds of people and the din of conversation around him as he strode through the festival grounds.

It seemed like ages ago since he'd seen so many people congregated in one area. A hand on his shoulder pushed him forward gently to indicate that he had stopped walking unconsciously.

Followed by a sizable group of Committee members, Tsuna swallowed nervously as he walked alongside Hibari who seemed unperturbed by the attention they were getting. Once in a while the raven-haired teen would pause and address the owner of a stall. The mass quickly parted to make way when they saw them approach.

Chewing his bottom lip, he stared down at his straw sandals as to avoid the piercing and unmasked stares directed at him from the crowds. He never liked being the centre of attention for the wrong reason.

Still, it was a refreshing change to be outside even if it was to accompany Hibari while he worked. How this came to be escaped Tsuna. He thought he would never leave the confines of the sky-high tower.

Tsuna blinked owlishly when he realised he had continued on without them and backtracked to where a man with a nasal voice was screeching obscenities about the fees. Uncomfortable with the expected aftermath, the brunet turned away, staring at a flock of children crowding around a goldfish-catching stand.

The familiar hand touched his shoulder again and steered him away towards a makeshift bench consisting of several 2 by 4s and some crates. A little weary from the excitement exuding from the waves of people moving through the shrine grounds, Tsuna didn't protest, allowing Hibari to push him to sit down.

"Stay," the older teen said briefly before pressing something into his hand and taking off to confront the pandemonium stirred by his followers.

He looked curiously at the fluffy confection he was now in possession of.

Cotton Candy. How masculine of him.

The corners of his lips twitched upwards into a silly grin at the thought as he tore off a bit of the sweet with his front teeth. It dissolved into flavoured sugar crystals the moment it touched his tongue. His taste buds tingled; his recent meals were very traditional and a little too bland for his own tastes.

Leaning against the temporary pole erected for the purpose of stringing festive lights through the area, Tsuna steadily grew bored with waiting. He kicked his feet impatiently, wondering when Hibari would be back.

Perhaps he could go and find him. He shouldn't have gotten too far away and it wasn't like the shrine grounds were that big in the first place. The festival was generally very straight forward.

Satisfied with his reasoning, he pushed himself up, the half-eaten cone of candy floss clutched in a hand, and prepared to set off on his search when a voice penetrated the crowd and caught his attention.

"Tsuna-kun?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Dino streaked across the night sky, his blond hair a beacon in the darkness. He cursed, digging the heel of his boots into the rooftop as he nearly slid off the edge. He was always naturally clumsy when his followers weren't around but he knew this abnormal lack of orientation was due to something else.

A jitter of excitement produced by adrenaline racked through his limbs which he suppressed with a deep exhale. How unprofessional of him.

Perhaps this mission was a little too personal and delicate for him to handle. He was almost regretting how readily he had accepted Reborn's proposal even before he was briefed on the details.

"_Dino, if it isn't too much trouble I would like your assistance in our operation."_

"_Whatever it is, you can count on me, Reborn," Dino replied, closing the office door behind him. He sat down on the two-seater sofa across from the little vampire._

_"Always so hasty. Very well, I hope you remember that, as the head of the Cavallone, this decision will affect your entire clan's standing."_

_Dino nodded. Favours and requests between clans were scrutinized severely by outside clans. If two clans worked together too often, the council members would revoke the smaller clan's seat on the council and demand the assimilation of the clan as a working branch of the other. A clan's solidarity was crucial to its continued existence and thus a clan leader should never decide things on whims without fully understanding the consequences._

_But the blond man trusted his ex-mentor. He was never led astray under his tutorage and this was a way to pay him back for all the years spent whipping him into shape as a leader. Besides, there couldn't be anything worse than their current state of affairs regarding Tsuna._

"_Tomorrow is the summer festival. As you know, Hibari and his prefects patrol the shrine grounds where it is held every year to collect protection fees from the stall owners," Reborn began, counting the number of bullets Leon had produced over night and laying them out on the table. "He will no doubt be there for most of the evening, if not longer. Our operation should wrap up by midnight when the fireworks show ends._

"_What I want to ask of you is to keep an eye on Hibari at the festival, watch his movements and report to us if he shows signs of returning to his estate."_

_"Is that all?" Dino inquired, puzzled by the reluctance Reborn had shown earlier. Reborn pressed his lips together into a thin, stern line._

_"Not quite. If the situation calls for it, I need you to stall Hibari at all costs and by all cost I mean _all_ costs."_

_"But that means…"_

"_Yes, I'm asking you to strain your relationship with Hibari, quite possibly to the point where you could no longer hold agreeable terms between your clans. If you help us on this rescue mission there is a high probability that you will be directly opposing Hibari."_

"_I…" Dino finally understood what Reborn was hesitant about. It had taken a lot to even be on neutral terms with Hibari. After all, Hibari wasn't a trusting guy by any standards. Dino honestly liked his former pupil (despite the way he was so unreasonably infuriating) and could see the immense amount of potential he held and the great things he could accomplish. The Cavallone wasn't a small clan by any standards but if Kyouya's clan was a threat to the Vongola, which was perhaps the most prestigious and highest standing clan of them all, having this amicable bond with the young clan was advantageous._

_"I see that you understand. If you choose to take back your decision right now, I'll consider it but," Reborn said scooping the bullets into a small pouch, 'there will be no turning back if you stand with your earlier statement. I can only spare you half an hour to make your decision; I still have to brief the others."_

_"No, I understand," Dino said inhaling deeply. "I will stand by my word. Tsuna is pretty much my little brother since he is your new pupil. You can place your trust in me."_

_Reborn smiled appreciatively that also held a smidgeon of pride._

_"I look forward to your efforts come tomorrow."_

"_I won't let you down."_

The blond man peered down at the bustling traffic below, the glow of neon signs glaring into his eyes. Kyouya's ideals were wrong and if someone could correct them, it was him. Even if this had to be done the hard way, Dino would do it if not for Kyouya's sake, for Tsuna's.

_And for me too_, he added.

Steeling his nerves, he leaned forward and kicked off, attaining jet speed in three steps. The glow of the festival came into view, growing in size as he flitted.

_Don't make me do it, Kyouya. Show me that you've learned something since Tsuna has been in your company._

_Show me that you've changed for the better._

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Hibari repressed the urge to bring out his tonfa as the stall owner threw himself at his feet in a fit of pathetic sobbing. Before he could kick the grovelling man away a couple of his subordinates moved forward and dragged him off without prompting.

How sickening these herbivores were.

He scanned the mass of festival goers with narrow eyes for any disturbances. A couple people who caught his hostile glare flinched and hurried away.

How disgustingly crowded it was.

He hated holidays. He hated how the herbivores would travel around in droves for weeks prior to the actual date, meandering about aimless and noisy.

His thoughts drifted to the blood slave that he had brought with him on a whim.

Did he make the right choice in loosening his hold on the boy by allowing him to be exposed to the public? Or was he being paranoid because of that irritating man's words?

Surely Tsunayoshi would prefer to stay away from these common people. He had seen the smaller boy been pushed around by his so-called classmates at school. Surely he had developed a decent sense of abhorrence towards them from the many years of torment.

Nevertheless he had done it even if it was just for the evening.

There was a furious glint of light against the metal of his collapsible weapon as he brandished it at a passer-by. The man squeaked as the tonfa stopped a bare inch from his nose.

"Pick it up."

The man scrambled to reclaim the plastic wrapper he dropped and rushed away to the nearest garbage can. As the man wove through the throng he glanced back over his shoulder at Hibari repeatedly with a sullen look on his face.

Despicable.

Hibari didn't bother to retract his weapon and place it back into its respectable hiding spots in his jacket, allowing its presence to remind others of the consequences of littering. He turned away from another stall owner attempting to haggle the price of the fee with his vice president.

Already Hibari was longing for the quiet and far more pleasant company of Tsunayoshi, preferably alone together in his chambers. He licked his lips as his body reminded him that he hadn't ingested fresh blood recently. Deciding that he had left the boy by himself for long enough, he made his way back to the bench after confirming that Kusakabe had control of the situation.

Parting the crowd as he went, he briefly entertained the thought of abandoning his job and taking Tsunayoshi home early for a snack before he stopped in mid step. A voice reached out to him in the crowd.

"I didn't expect you to be such a whipped dog, Kyouya Hibari. Returning to your _master_ already?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tsuna fought his way through the crowd before he finally reached them. He bent over slightly to catch his breath after he had to squish his way through between two rather disgruntled people.

"K-Kyoko-chan--"

"Tsuna-san!" Haru squealed, throwing herself onto him. She clung to his left side eagerly, nearly tipping him over.

"H-Haru."

"Hahi! You remembered my name," she gushed excitably and slipped her arm around his.

"How have you been, Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko asked politely with a smile that made Tsuna's heart quicken.

"G-good. Just checking out the festival."

"So have we! Kyoko-chan and I stormed the competition in goldfish catching! Didn't we?" She waved a clear plastic bag. Six goldfish swam around lazily in the small volume of water it held.

"Competition?"

"Those boys were asking for it! They kept laughing at us after the first three tries but we showed them!"

"That's great…" Tsuna said trying to detach the girl from his arm only to have her hold on tighter.

"I have a question for you, Tsuna-kun," Kyoko said, the smile on her face fading a little. "Have you seen my brother lately? He hasn't been home for days. Of course, he did call a few times to let us know he's alright but he never talks for long and he won't tell us what he's up to. I know I shouldn't pry…but I'm worried."

"I haven't seen him since that day he, well, you know," Tsuna said vaguely. He didn't want to bring up their temporary imprisonment. "But I'm sure he'll be fine," he added after seeing her smile disappear completely. "He knows how to take care of himself."

"I guess you're right," she agreed.

"Smile, Kyoko-chan! A frown doesn't fit on your face at all," Haru said. "If you start looking down I will too! And frowning hurts my face if I do it for longer than three minutes."

Kyoko chuckled softly into her hand, a glint of amusement returning to her brown eyes. Tsuna thanked Haru inwardly for cheering her up so quickly and easily.

"Uh, Haru, would you mind letting go? I thought you didn't like me." The first and last time they met, Haru had shown a certain amount of dislike for Tsuna. Her current attachment to him was baffling.

"Haru cannot do that!" she exclaimed with a determined look in her eyes. "Haru is not going to let the thief get away!"

"Eh? Thief? What?"

"'_Wait! How could you do such a thing?! They haven't done anything wrong! You must let these fair damsels go at once_!'" Haru blurted out loud, releasing Tsuna from her hold to make full body gesticulations to accompany her words.

"What are you doing, Haru?!" Tsuna hissed, embarrassed as people around them turned to stare.

"Those words you spoke were like something out of a movie. It was so courageous of you to speak out at that heartless man to save our lives," Haru said, holding her flushed cheeks in her hands. "I never knew you had it in you, Tsuna-san."

"…I don't think I said that last one though."

"Nevertheless, with those words," Haru hugged her torso and sighed blissfully, "you succeeded in stealing my heart."

"What?!"

"Just the thought of that moment makes Haru's maiden heart beat faster. Oh, you cad, you thief."

"What-- but I-- this…Kyoko-chan, I don't--," Tsuna stuttered while waving his hands about. "This is a misunderstanding!"

"I was even thinking about you when I dressed for the festival! Do you like it?" She turned on the spot to display her red summer yukata patterned with tuna fish.

"It's…very nice," he said. Honestly, it did look right on her. The thought of that was more than a little disturbing to him. "Kyoko-chan's is very nice as well," he added, eager to change the topic as Haru blushed from his words and giggled.

"Thank you, Tsuna-kun. Yours is very nice too." The one he was wearing was cornflower blue with white designs curling at the hems. Hibari had ordered him to change into it in front of him before they left for the festival. Tsuna felt his face heat up at the memory.

"So did Hibari-san bring you here?" Kyoko said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What?" How did she assume that?

"I mean, you seem pretty close to Hibari-san. I don't normally see you at the festivals so I thought he might've asked you to come along this time."

Since Tsuna didn't have many friends (in fact he had none), festivals were something he overlooked as it would be boring to go alone. He started to stay home after he stopped allowing his mom to drag him there every year. The only part of the festivities he still enjoyed was the fireworks which he could view if he leaned out his bedroom window but even that he did little of in the past few years.

"Well, to tell the truth, he did," he said, deciding to answer honestly. There was no reason to lie.

"Hahi! I knew it!" Haru said, biting back a sob. The devastated look on her face was disheartening. "You're on a date with Hibari-san!"

Tsuna sputtered and retorted, "No, I'm not! What gave you that idea?!"

"Oh! Woe is me that I should have such a strong rival. I should've known, they always go to the silent, strong type. Still, Haru knew that even though Tsuna-san had stolen her heart, she still needed to capture Tsuna-san's," she continued without listening to a word Tsuna was saying.

"This isn't a date! There's nothing going on! And what's this about capturing my heart?!"

"Hibari-san gave you that, didn't he?" Haru asked, whipping around and pointing at the half-eaten cone of cotton candy Tsuna was still holding. He had forgotten all about it.

"Well, yes, but--"

"Giving gifts already! He's ahead in the game. How devious of him," she moaned to herself, holding her head in her hands. "Why didn't I think of it first?

"Haru--"

"Even though Haru is a woman, Haru will still give her best effort to be Tsuna-san's number one!" she declared, catching the attention of several passer-bys who looked upon them curiously. The teen blushed under their combined scrutiny and the murmurs as they swept by in bouts of suppressed laughter.

"You'll back me up, wouldn't you, Kyoko-chan?" she said, turning sharply to address the other girl. Smiling at their antics, Kyoko nodded in agreement.

"You can do it, Haru-chan."

"You're such a good friend, Kyoko-chan!"

Haru rushed forward to clasp hands with Kyoko as Tsuna watched in silent horror, mind spinning from Kyoko's prompt encouragement towards the other girl. Aware of his shell-shocked state though not the cause, Kyoko decided to change the subject.

"How long are you staying for, Tsuna-kun?"

"Pardon?"

"Will you be watching the fireworks at the end? Or are you going home soon?"

Tsuna blinked. He hadn't thought about that. How long was Hibari going to take with his work?

"I didn't ask--" Wait, what is he doing? This was his chance.

He was no longer in Hibari's company.

He could leave right now if he wanted to.

He could go home and hide there until Reborn found him.

He could escape.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tonfas pulled out and adopting an offensive fighting position he whirled around at the sound of his name. His blue eyes flickered from face to face, searching for the owner of the voice in the crowd. Though it didn't sound familiar, the tone and formality it was spoken in did.

"Kufufu, aren't you defensive? No greeting? It's been a while since we've last met," the voice said.

"Show yourself."

"I already am, or did I damage your eyes too during our last battle?"

He looked directly in front of him and found a small boy staring back. The coy smile on his face was eerily familiar. One of his eyes flickered and turned crimson, the character for six replacing the pupil.

"You."

"Of course. Who else did you expect?"

"What do you want?"

"Patience, there's no need to be so riled up. I'm only here for a civilized conversation."

"There's nothing to talk about."

The boy chuckled and the sound grated on Hibari's nerves.

"Leave this place."

"That's the kind of attitude that will get you no where. So possessive. It will be your downfall, I'm certain of it."

"Leave, Mukuro Rokudo."

The boy shook his head in a disbelieving fashion. Hibari's grip on his tonfas tightened, readying himself for an attack.

"In some ways you haven't changed at all but the changes that have occurred," he said leisurely, "have been most disappointing. I am, of course, referring to your relationship with that boy you were so eager to return to a moment ago. Though it's terribly cliché I must quote, how the great have fallen."

"Leave," he grounded out again. He had no desire to prolong this meeting.

"I wouldn't speak in such tones if I were you, Kyouya Hibari," he chided lightly, turning his attention towards the direction of Hibari's estate. "I suspect my followers are stirring up a storm right about now."

Several people gasped as the boy sidestepped the blow Hibari dealt with his tonfa, leaving a dent in the stone path. The violent impact made everyone in the vicinity pause and stare at the tense scene before them.

"Kufufu. Should you be wasting time picking a fight with me? Shouldn't you be winning the approval of your little slave boy? I can imagine what he truly thinks of you. The lengths he'll go to survive in your presence, I'm impressed by how he has you wrapped around his little finger so effectively."

Eyes darkening to a stormy azure, Hibari raised his weapon to strike again but he hesitated at Mukuro's next words.

"Really, let me remind you, this is not my real body, if the fact that I'm a small boy doesn't tip that off."

"What of it?" Apprehension swelled the teen's stomach as Mukuro smirked and drew out the silence.

"I'm just saying that you should keep important things close to you if you catch my drift."

Staying rooted to the spot, Mukuro let out a bellowing laugh as he watched Hibari disappear hastily into the crowd.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Crouched on the fragile shale of the wall that surrounded the compound, Gokudera gritted his teeth as he watched the second hand of his watch avidly. It was nearly time.

Though he preferred to take on the task of directly rescuing the Tenth, he could see logic in Reborn's decision to put him at the front of the battle as the main distraction. The range his dynamite provided was ideal to keep his position hidden while still wrecking havoc to occupy any of Hibari's underlings that had stayed behind to guard the place.

He looked upwards at the tower they pinpointed as Hibari's private rooms and the location where the Tenth was being held.

He was so close yet…

The half-Italian clenched his fist around a bundle of dynamite he had taken out of his jacket. He couldn't jeopardize the whole mission by being selfish after days upon days of planning. His fingers inched towards his breast pocket where a fresh pack of cigarettes were kept, pulled one out, and fumbled for his lighter.

He glanced down at his watch again.

In a swift, practiced movement he lit the wicks with the burning ember at the end of his cigarette. Loud voices in the compound startled him as he heard commotion coming from the front entrance.

Remembering himself, he drew his arm back, looking to the tower for the last time. It was no time to be distracted. A silent promise to make this operation successful for the Tenth's sake composed in his head.

The sky was alight with dynamite rain.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: D:. So um, climax begins next chapter! The Dino-Reborn scene was the hardest part to write in this but I hope it came out right. The Haru-Kyoko-Tsuna scene was the easiest though since, well, Haru's in it. A little bit of the scene is reminiscent of the chapter in which Haru challenged Tsuna and ultimately fell in love with him. Tsuna still likes Kyoko so he's rather alarmed by her encouraging Haru to chase him. He's still trying to sort out his weird relationship with Hibari-san. And Mukuro finally re-enters the scene! He'll show up lots later :_hinthint_: I do hope I wrote his character correctly. Mukuro seems like the type to play around with people for a while before letting them in on his intentions, that's the image I'm trying to write him as. All in all it was a difficult chapter. I didn't know how I would end it because there were so many other scenes I could've written but I decided against exceeding the 8 page limit. Let's all hope I focus and write the next chapter soon, shall we?

_Meru's Beta Note_: So I'm a horrible beta. I've been procrastinating on finishing reading this through (though who could, really? It's fantastic), but it's finally done. 8D Enjoy~ o;

**Thank you for reading! All complaints, comments, praise-to-boast-authoress's-ego, critiques, etc. shall be accepted in the form of reviews. Reviews make the authoress very very happy and fluffy on the inside. Hope to write to you soon!**


	13. Falling

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: November 30, 2008

End Date: December 7, 2008

**WARNINGS**: Possible OOCness. 1827.

_A/Ns_: I'm really sorry this took so long. For once I have a decent explanation for the delay. I had part of this chapter was done at the beginning of November but due to my inattentiveness and good will, I lost my USB which held all my fanfic files (which I didn't back up) and it was gone for good. After a week of searching and getting shunted from teacher to teacher, all I recovered was the lanyard which means someone has stolen it. I'm not impressed. After that I had fanfic and USB trauma for a couple weeks and couldn't bring myself to write. However yesterday I finished a Promo pic for this fanfic. Yes, I drew a promo pic and yes, it's pretty late to make one but I did anyways. It made me realise how much I missed DID and so, you get a new chapter. Win-win situation, eh?

**Promo Pic Link**: ankaris . deviantart . com / art / Descend-Into-Darkness-Promo-105630458 (Remove spaces before and after periods and slashes when inputting URL or just go to .com and look for it in the gallery.)

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_Akuno Hikari_: Aww, thank you so much for the praise. :_blush_: I hate those in-class essays too because I never finish them. I like to write the rough draft but there's never enough time to rewrite a clearer version of it. And it's fine! I like your rambling and I can tell you, you aren't the only one who rambles in their reviews. XD. Oh and yes, I have noticed. I've written long reviews before, so long, will cut it off because it takes up too much space, hahaha. It's usually my omake-ish take of what is going on in the story reiterated to the author for their amusement.

_firedraygon_: Hahaha, 182769 conflict is fun to watch and read. And I'll tip you off and let you know that there will be more of that in this fic coming soon. Their reasons and methods of fighting are so unorthodox…and Tsuna gets swamped by them. It's a great form of training! If you aren't afraid of Mukuro AND Hibari-san, then you're half invincible. Like really.

_Lala-tan_: Thank you for the ego bloating! :_squish_: It's appreciated. : ).

_breadsticks_: Yeah. XD. Haru is so lovable like that. I remember reading somewhere (perhaps on dA) "Tsuna-san makes Haru's maiden go doki doki!" and I kept thinking of that when I wrote the chapter, ahaha. I'm pleased that you like the style of writing, although this chapter might seem a little different because my writing style changed again, aha. I dunno if it's a bad thing or not. I blame my Writing teacher. Yama will have his main character moment next chapter, so look out for it!

_wind-master-redmoon_: Kufufu, your wish is my command (coincidentally). Stop reading my mind!

_CelticAngelWings_: Ha! You should write chapter endings for me! With all those questions among questions. XD. I would be I might accidentally give something away. And your stalking has come to an end! Forge on ahead.

_chimi-chan_: XD. Did Mukuro not come across as somewhat mysterious? I mean, he hasn't been in the story a lot so far, so I thought that would make him mysterious enough. I tried to convey his intentions as very vague at the moment so no one can (easily) guess what will happen next. Confused!Tsuna is cute. Especially when he mistakens it for something else. (Hahaha, I'm so cruel.) Lots of stuff on the operation in this chapter, hope you enjoy!

_GoddesofWrath_: …:_shiftyeyes_: Damn you, devoted readers. At this rate my story will be too predictable!

_Motif_: XD. Common misconception for this story. It's kind of vague, the description of him and I suppose most people wouldn't expect it since the story is supposed to be 1827.

_Tsunayoshi-kun_: IT'S YOU! Hey! Look! A new chapter as promised! Thanks for the support by the way, both here and on dA. And um, if you mean Gokkun's name as in Gokudera, I believe it's made from the characters Goku, which is compounded into the word for prison, and Tera, meaning temple (building). I hope that helps.

Thanks and lots of love also to ChibiVi3tKitsun3, RuByMoOn17, lla Way, kuro no kokoro, Hikari the Keyblade of Hope, Estrella85, Unknown-Noutan, No0ne, Doseimotsuko, , HikariNoTenshi-san,

**(Scroll down for the story! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 12 – Falling

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The sudden revelation of freedom made Tsuna's head spin with disorganization. It was baffling how the thought had not occurred to him beforehand.

The girls' worried faces brought him back to reality. He hurriedly apologized for ignoring them.

"Are you alright, Tsuna-kun? You blanked out there," Kyoko asked with genuine concern.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking. And about that, um, I think I'll be heading home soon. I promised my mom I'd be back before it got too late." The thought of his mom made his chest twinge with unease. How had she handled his disappearance?

"Aw, I wanted to see the fireworks with Tsuna-san! Although if your mother said so…but," Haru grabbed his hands; the bag of goldfish swung dangerously from side to side as she did so, "promise that you'll see them with us next year! Promise!"

"Um, sure. Next year."

Satisfied, the exuberant girl released him and exchanged a few words with Kyoko before biding him goodnight, leaving to find a good viewing spot. Tsuna waved back weakly as the crowd swallowed them. He exhaled, feeling unusually drained from the encounter or perhaps from lying. He was never a great liar and it hurt that he fibbed to Kyoko and Haru.

Turning on his heel, he began to push his way through the mass of people towards the stairs that led down to the empty street. It was then he noticed the half-eaten cone of cotton candy still held in his hand. Just looking at the fluffy confection caused him to recall fond memories of the person who gave it to him.

He shook his head to clear them from his mind. Hibari was a ruthless man with a stone heart. Merciless as rumoured, Hibari had done and would probably continue to do terrible things.

_He's probably doing terrible things at this moment_, Tsuna thought gruffly, heading over to a nearby garbage bin.

So unreasonable.

The hand grasping the cone extended over the partly filled disposal.

So frustrating.

His grip loosened to discard the item.

So lonely.

With a sharp intake of breath, Tsuna flinched, jerking his arm back. The cotton candy flopped dangerously from the abrupt movement but remained in his grasp.

_He's a lost cause_, he insisted.

Has he not changed?

_There's nothing someone…someone like myself can do_.

Has he not changed because of _your_ presence?

_Someone as useless as myself._

Coward.

Tsuna's eyes closed as he forced himself into evenly paced breathing. He had to do it.

There was no one else who could save Hibari from himself.

Even as that thought registered in his mind, an arm grabbed him around the waist and hoisted him off his feet.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

Ryohei continued his rapid punches in this pattern, imprinting his fists into the wooden foundation pillars of the building. Outside, commotion was stirring in a mix of shouts and explosions, indicating that Gokudera was busy at work with his dynamite.

The patter of footsteps sounded just beyond the shoji doors before fading off into the distance. Ryohei desperately fought the urge to abandon his objective and confront them.

His mission was logical but it did not fit Ryohei's fiery personality and love for combat. While Gokudera was drawing away the enemies guarding the compound, he was supposed to wheedle away at the architecture of the main buildings, collapsing a few rooms here or there. At first, he didn't understand the significance of such actions but it became clear when the rest of the plan was explained by Reborn.

The operation was divided into three main parts: Diversion, Rescue, and Aftermath. The first stage was well under way. It shouldn't take long before Yamamoto was dispatched to locate Sawada.

He frowned as he miscalculated his third hit, glancing the side of the battered pole. A chunk snapped off to join the splinters littering the tatami mats.

The third and final stage was his job. He was supposed to cause enough property damage to Hibari's headquarters so that he and his men would have more to deal with afterwards. Hopefully it would stall them long enough for them to locate the Fuuta kid and find a loophole in Sawada's contract.

Sawada. Now there's an interesting character. He could hardly remember the guy but he was sure that his kid sister Kyoko had mentioned him once before and he seemed like an important person to the undoubtedly strong people at the Vongola headquarters. That must mean that he must be a strong guy as well. With any luck Ryohei might get to test that out himself, that is if the operation was a success and they brought him home.

The wooden foundation bent inwards as the weight of the roof became too much for it to handle. One more hit should do it. The other weakened poles would fold respectively if he treated this carefully.

_I hope Octopus Head will leave some guys in tact for me_, he thought, hopping from foot to foot to prepare for the final blow.

In the split second before his bandaged fist connected with the feeble support pole, he thought to himself.

This kind of work _really_ didn't suit him well.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Dino was dumbstruck at what unfolded before him.

Moments before, he had reached the edge of the festival grounds, approaching the area via the dense foliage for stealth. The thick stench of humans and food stalls tingled in his nose, the lights burning away his night vision.

It was by chance that he had seen it, the exchange between his target, Kyouya, and a small child who was unmistakably possessed by Mukuro Rokudo. Their less-than-civil conversation, if it could be called that, ended predictably with the Japanese teen's violent response to the escaped convict's goading.

Though the blond man had not overheard everything, he heard enough to grasp what was going on. He followed Kyouya immediately but with great reluctance.

Guilty with relief, Dino reached into the deep pocket of his jacket and pulled out his satellite cell phone. The phone thrummed the dialling tone as he called Reborn.

There was click on the other end.

"Dino?"

"Reborn, I'm sorry. He's heading back. He was--"

"There's no time for this, Dino. If what you have to add doesn't affect the plan, I'm hanging up."

The curt reply was laced with disappointment that only Dino, a long time student under the Arcobaleno, could pick up. He licked his dry lips before continuing.

He might as well get to the point.

"Tsuna was here. At the festival."

"…was?"

"And that's not all," Dino interjected quickly. He pulled a leaf out of his hair from when he tripped over a bush in his haste to tail his old pupil.

"He's being taken back to the estate by Kyouya."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Yamamoto perked up at the distinct sound of a building collapsing and kicked off the ground, launching himself over the treetops. The crisp wind roared in his ears as he approached the grounds. A weighted bamboo shinai was heavy in his hand, held close to his side.

Out of the selection of swords that the little guy Reborn had offered him, an event he thought as being strange but interesting, he had picked this one, bypassing the assortment of sheathed katanas and other bladed weaponry. The practice sword, though probably ineffective for actual combat, felt unusually comfortable to swing.

His grip tightened on it as the scent of kicked-up debris and smoke filled his lungs.

It was so different from his usual life that was typically filled from morning to evening with baseball.

The world around him blurred as he approached speeds he could never achieve while running to first base.

In his hand was not the familiar weight of his baseball bat.

The dusty home plate was not under his feet as it should be.

It was so strange, so different yet…

He sailed over the wall with barely the strength required for a hop. A black-clothed man swung at him from the side which he deflected reflexively with the bamboo sword and continued onwards. A few explosions were set off near his feet, stopping a few black-clad men in their path. He didn't stop to thank Gokudera for the help.

The moon was round over his head as he sprinted past the wreckage, a traditional Japanese house with the roof caved in. The dust was still settling in the area, showing that it was a recent development. He didn't stop to see if Sasagawa was all right.

He paid notice to nothing.

Possessed with the thought of rescuing Tsuna, his legs ran on autopilot, not a movement was wasted. The base of the tower erected in the centre of the compound came into sight but instead of looking for hidden footholds to begin his climb he raised his head to look up at the window at the top illuminated by the moon's milky light.

It was so different yet at the same time he couldn't help thinking that…

It was kind of fun.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tsuna's surprised yelp was lost in the night as he watched the lights of the festival shrink into the distance at an alarming rate. It took him a few seconds to gather his wits and remember that he was taken against his will.

"Let me go!" he shrieked, beating his fists against the back of his kidnapper. "Put me down!"

A protruding branch they passed scraped along the side of Tsuna's face and a sudden jostle caused his abdomen to dig into the man's shoulder, winding him.

The aching in his chest made it difficult for him to struggle so he settled with screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs although it provoked no response.

All at once, they came to halt. Tsuna was discarded onto the ground as quickly as he had been snatched up in the first place. He scrambled up from his sprawling position to confront his kidnapper, sore and infuriated from the rough treatment.

"You don't know what you're doing! When--" he paused in mid-sentence, not believing his eyes. "Hibari-san?"

Tsuna blinked to dispel the illusion before him but the man who stood before remained the same.

Ebony hair, wild and windswept, Hibari was a forbidding presence before him. His clothes were crooked and wrinkled, torn where the trees had snagged it. His chest was heaving for air and a few scratches blemished his skin that was paler than usual. The azure blue of his eyes seemed to glow almost fluorescent, filled with an unreadable emotion. He looked positively feral.

"H-Hibari-san?" he asked again. There was no answer.

"I-If this is about my disappearance, I wasn't running awa--" An icy hand seized him by the jaw and jerked his head upwards so he couldn't turn away. Their faces were so close; all Tsuna could see were his eyes.

"I won't let you go."

"I'm not leaving. I mean, I had thought about it but I--"

"You don't need freedom."

"…what?"

"You don't need freedom," Hibari repeated in a hoarse voice. "You don't need it. I won't give it to you."

His grip tightened.

"I won't let anyone else have you."

His fingernails bit into the soft flesh of his face.

"You're mine."

Silence.

"Is that so?" Tsuna inquired in a quiet voice, raspy from the fingers constricting his throat.

His small body was trembling.

"Is this how you see me? Saying mine, _mine_, _MINE_. I'm not a thing, you know!" the smaller teen cried, his voice rising in volume.

"I didn't say you were."

"But that's what you meant!" Tsuna slapped away Hibari's hand, his jaw and throat throbbing. His fingers left red marks on his skin. Brown eyes blinked away tears.

The frustration pent up from the previous days pushed its way out. It flung aside and overpowered his sense of fear.

He was so sick of Hibari. So sick of himself. So sick of everything.

"All this time, this is what I am to you."

His crappy life. His useless self. His cowardice.

"I don't know how I could've thought otherwise."

The way Hibari had treated him. The way Hibari seemed to care. The way Hibari didn't make sense.

"I'm not even…I am just some sort of… some sort of _possession_!"

The way he felt towards Hibari.

"You're not a thing," Hibari said, barely audible. He sounded weary, almost remorseful. Somehow it made Tsuna even angrier.

"Not a thing you say? You sure _treat_ me like one. Keeping me cooped up your room for days, keeping me from my family and friends, and this ring,' Tsuna held up his hand, the white-gray metal glinted in the moonlight, "_branding_ me like I'm a slave. Is this not how you would treat a possession?"

"That's--"

"I've had it!" Tsuna choked. His voice was so thick; it was becoming difficult to talk. He tugged furiously at the band of metal but it didn't budge a millimetre.

Hibari grabbed his hand and before he could pull himself away, a hot searing pain blossomed in his pinkie, spreading through his arm. There was a deadened clink of metal against woven mats as the ring was thrown onto the floor.

"It's off," Hibari said, toneless. He stared into Tsuna's eyes without blinking, daring him to retort.

"You think you can win me over just by taking that stupid ring off? I know how you see me; that hasn't changed."

"You're _not_ a thing."

"Are you sure?" Tsuna challenged. "Then just what am I to you? Tell me."

"I don't know." It sounded so brutally honest Tsuna almost wavered and believed him but he was teetering on the border between distraught and hysterical and his mind was no longer connected to his mouth.

"Tell me! If you can't tell me, show me! Because I--mmmph!"

The lips pressed against his were anything but gentle. Held into place by a hand against the back of his neck, Tsuna thrashed in vain; his movements were smothered by an arm wound around him, pulling him snug against Hibari's warm chest. Over time, the less he struggled the more tender the embrace became. And soon, Tsuna couldn't remember why he was struggling in the first place. A nagging feeling in the corner of his mind urged him to stay alert but he was slipping away, there was no place left to think.

Brilliant fireworks lit up the sky to signal midnight's arrival in various colours, but mingling within the shrill whistles and distant firecracker pops were the sounds of explosions detonating close by and screams that could not be ignored.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: Um, yeah. Angry kissing is a bad tactic, Hibari-san but I guess you got it to work. If Tsuna wasn't such a wimp when he's sane, you'd have your ass kicked (or it will be attempted anyways). WHY HAS MY WRITING STYLE CHANGED SO DRASTICALLY?! This chapter was sort of choppy because I tried to make it appear fast paced and since I tend to see this fic in movie POV, action and stuff are usually done with quick change in camera shots. I'm not quite happy with this chapter but at least I got to write the part I've been looking forward to the whole time (is if that obvious?). The ending was kind of weak all in all. But look forward to the next chapter, the plot is one of my favourite parts and it's also the climax. (Hinthint.)

_Meru's Beta Note_: Omnomnom. *3* :_heart_: (Translation: -Speechless.-)

**Thank you all for reading this**** instalment**** of DID! Critique, Complaints, and Comments are welcome and reviews boost the ego of the authoress! Guilt trip her into writing! It's the latest fad! Are you a conformist?! Hope to write to you all soon**!


	14. Despairing

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: December 20, 2008

End Date: March 18, 2009

**WARNINGS**: Possible OOCness. Pineapple Alert. Nonsense.

_A/Ns_: I'M SO SORRY. :_breaks head on the floor from apologetic bows_: This chapter is really bad and choppy but I forced myself to finish it because I knew I couldn't have written it any better despite all my efforts.

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_firedraygon_: XD. Yeah, Yamamoto was too angsty and serious in the fic so I thought I'd lighten the mood up a bit. Yamamoto is Yamamoto after all. (Speaking of which, he gets a bulk of this chapter.)

_Akuno Hikari_: Hahaha, let's hope I have good timing this time too. Wow, sounds like you've got some school there. And yeah, we've had bomb threats. We've had two in the past four years and usually in the morning so we get stuck outside in the rain, standing around (next to a highly flammable parking lot, geh). Schools in our area have started to do Lockdown Drills too (In response to dangerous threats in the area such as person with a gun or wild animal). It's quite hectic over here right now and I'm dying under four academics. I'm such a wimp. :_pout_:

_animefreak312_: I'm sorry! I-I'll commit seppuku! :_pulls out a knife_: Oh, you were joking. :_puts it away_: I'm sorry if the ending was a little…abrupt last chapter. I tried to cut it off at a turning point to make it more filling and interesting.

_Crispy Rice_: Your sympathies are well taken. :_sniffs_: I've gotten over it.

_CelticAngelWings_: :_blush_: There's no need for all the…anyways. XD. I don't think it's because I've become a full blown Yaoi fangirl. I already am one! But I take my work very seriously. In order to convert non-believers I have to introduce it softly and with logical reasoning. It seems I lost a bit of that last chapter though, haha.

_Hikari the Keyblade of Light_: Yeah, Yamamoto was supposed to get to Tsuna at the headquarters. The reason Yamamoto was 'delayed' will be explained in this chapter (or at least mentioned).

_Paio Ichiris Jin_: Thank you! I hope you won't mind the extreme choppiness of this chapter then because, boy, it is choppy. I appreciate your sympathies.

_GoddesofWrath_: Lol. Why so speechless?

_xXJustAnotherFangirlXx_: Thank you for all the reviews!

_Tsuki no Akebono_: Wao indeed.

_yumeniai_: Oh dears, now we can't have Tsuna hearing that. He wouldn't stand to be called a shojo heroine. Ohoho.

Thanks also to RuByMoOn17, Motif, Spiel, wind-master-redmoon, Jaaku-san, Lala-tan, breadsticks, chibi chimi-chan, kashiiruu-chan,

**(Scroll down for the story! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 13 – Despairing

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The fireworks had ceased their displays of light when Hibari pulled away with apparent reluctance. The racket from below clamored for their attention.

Hibari turned towards the open window where the full moon could be viewed in its full glory, a milky pearl at the peak of its arc in the ink black night sky.

"I'll be back. Stay here," he said curtly before leaving. Tsuna who was a state of emotional turmoil barely heard his words and remained kneeling on the floor.

What just happened?

He couldn't think straight, something he had grown accustom to over time. Usually he'd simply disregard it as he was rather confident in his inability to figure anything out. This time however he felt frustration throb and pulse in his forehead as he fought to understand the situation.

Trust Hibari to throw him out of order like this, he thought bitterly which then prompted a recap of the last five or so minutes. Blood rushed to his cheeks.

If he thought about it, it was really straight forward.

_Hibari-san did k-ki…._ he stumbled over the words in his head as his blush worsened. He pressed his cold hands against his face to cool it down.

_That means he must…like me. And…_

And he, Tsuna, hadn't tried to stop him or push him away.

He enjoyed it.

Blood was pounding in his ears at this revelation. He could feel it in his veins, the jilting feeling of realization, of enlightenment.

_But doesn't that mean I-_

Without warning he was pinned to the mats by an unknown mass from above. Winded slightly from the warm weight splayed on top of his body, Tsuna fought the impulse to sneeze as short raven black hair tickled his nose. The other person, his assailant, was breathing harshly, the puffs of air tickling the skin on Tsuna's collarbone.

Remembering that he had no idea who this other person was, Tsuna thrashed out against him.

"Tsuna?"

He froze.

The other person rose to his knees, hands pressed against the mats on both sides of Tsuna's head.

His eyes, adjusted to the dim lighting, was able to glimpse the other's face. The angular face, short cropped black hair…

The amber yellow eyes.

"Y…Yamamoto…?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Reborn remained stony faced even as Dino's distressed cries trilled through the cell phone. The two others in the room could only look to their leader figure with worried anticipation.

"Reborn? Answer me-"

"I'm here, Dino. I want you to go to Hibari's headquarters. I want you to follow someone; you know who I'm talking about, right?"

"I-yes. Reborn-"

"If it's not important, don't say it."

A shuddering sigh came through the phone's speaker.

"I'm sorry." The phone clicked and beeped once signaling the end of the call. Reborn stared darkly at the phone for a moment before silencing the dial tone by flipping it shut.

Sidling up silently to the little vampire's side, Bianchi reached out to touch his shoulder, faltered, and dropped her hand to her side. Basil observed this all thin-lipped before averting his gaze, pretending to watch the emergency signal light.

Reborn jumped off the counter, landing on the linoleum floor with an unreadable expression. Without prompt the other two stood and pulled on their coats, readying themselves for the journey and combat ahead.

"We're heading out."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Wha-what are you doing here?" Tsuna said, relaxing after confirming the identity of the intruder.

Yamamoto heard nothing. His slowed heart was beating fiercely almost to the point of painful. The stolen blood in his veins burned, each heartbeat forcing his lungs to keep up.

His bodily functions screamed at him to act upon his supernatural instincts. It had been a deadened murmur as he was scaling the tower and he hadn't paid much attention to it but now…

"Yamamoto?"

He shook his head to clear up the haze, blinking several times to remember where he was. Tsuna, pale faced, windblown and scratched, swam into view. Every cut in his blue and white yukata sharpened, his diluted eyes instantly tracked a hint of red trickling down the smaller boy's cheek.

"Yamamoto? Are you okay? You…you're bleeding!"

He looked down briefly finding three slashes on his exposed forearm. The wound was already closing due to the supernatural conditions of his body. For some reason the sight of his own blood didn't drive him into bloodlust as much as that single crimson drop on Tsuna's face.

"Y-yeah. There was some crazy guy at the base of the tower…I think he…scratched me or something. It took some time but I got away from him," he replied, staring at the wound. It was fascinating how it didn't hurt a bit compared to the throbbing in his chest cavity.

There was no time for this. They had to go now.

A small hand reached forward to touch his arm.

Instinctively, he leaped backwards, slamming into the wall from overshooting the distance. Tsuna froze in place, his arm still outstretched.

Ducking his head down, Yamamoto bit down on his lip hard.

Why was he acting like this?

"I…We have to get out of here," Yamamoto gritted unable to look at the hurt in those soft brown eyes. "Come on, let's go, Gokudera's going to have a fit if we stay any longer."

Picking up the heavy shinai of steel he had dropped at the entrance, he stuck his head out the window to survey the garden-turned-battlefield below. The designated escape was still clear enough for safe passage.

He looked back to Tsuna who was looking around the room uncertainly. Before his eyes could lock onto the thin trail of blood, he averted his gaze sharply feeling the lengthened canines in his mouth itching to sink into soft flesh.

Not anyone's flesh. Tsu-

No, Yamamoto protested, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

Someone else should've taken the job.

There was no way he could carry Tsuna down the tower without trying to bite him.

There was no way he could even go near him without trying to bite him.

He clenched his eyes shut wondering where he'd gone wrong.

He was a half-vampire so he didn't need blood for weeks at a time. It hadn't even been that long since his first feeding yet…

What had gone wrong?

Was the plan going to fall apart…because of this?

"Yamamoto, go on ahead of me. There's something I need to do first," Tsuna interrupted.

"What?" Yamamoto blurted out, snapping out of his revelry. "This isn't the time, it-" He paused and contemplated the situation for a moment, the fading sense of surprise kept his thoughts clear. "All right. I'll go and keep the path open. Finish up what you need to do quickly, I'll be back as soon as possible to pick you up."

"All right," Tsuna confirmed, nodding.

The revelation that his need to be in close contact with Tsuna was being delayed lessened the thrumming in his chest. He turned towards the window again.

"Just one thing, Tsuna," he started, unsure if there was a need to say it.

"Yes?"

He turned back to look at him, meeting his eyes this time. His yellow eyes glowed with reflected moonlight.

"Whatever you do, be here when I come back." The brunet seemed confused by this statement.

"Of course, I will be."

"Good." A brilliant smile broke out on his face as reassurance washed over him. "I still have to pay you back for the meal. Maybe sushi sometime?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Before Hibari had time to ponder over what he saw to be the shadow of a person passing him during his descent down his tower, he raised his arm to deflect an incoming attack. The one who dealt the blow retreated out of range, bouncing nimbly from foot to foot.

The scruffy appearance, jagged face scar, and animalistic stance was met with disapproval from the Disciplinary Committee President. With a casual flick, he sent his assailant back several paces.

This kind of riffraff was messing up his men?

He'd have to seriously revise the committee member regulations after all this was over. He shifted into a more comfortable offensive stance as his enemy regained his bearings and snarled in discontent.

"Ready to play, puppy?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

As soon as Yamamoto left, Tsuna began to scour the mats for the ring. He didn't know why he had refused escape to find the stupid thing but he'd already made his decision, might as well go through with it.

"It can't have rolled far," he muttered to himself, ducking under the low table. It was hard to see as it was nighttime and all.

Feeling more frustrated by the second Tsuna forced himself to breathe deeply and grope his way across the floor slowly to make sure he'd explore every inch.

Lost in uncharacteristic concentration, the brunet didn't notice the dresser in time before he bumped his head against the bottom drawer.

"Ow!"

The drawer opened an inch from recoil; something familiar was inside.

It was his original clothes.

With disbelieving eyes he pulled them out gently as though fearing they'd disappear.

No mistaking it. It was the clothes he had worn the first night he was brought before Hibari. Through the scent of fresh lemony detergent was the unmistakable fragrance from the bath earlier that night.

_Why did he keep it?_ Tsuna wondered absentmindedly, smoothing out the black slip-over sweater on his lap.

Without another thought he pulled them on, marveling at how different it felt.

_Never thought I'd miss pants this much_, he thought.

A explosion below shocked him back to reality.

He dropped to his knees again, deciding to make a last ditch effort on finding the ring before simply waiting for Yamamoto to return.

Something glinted under the bed; he crawled closer to take a look.

It was the ring.

Feeling relieved for reasons he couldn't readily explain he reached forward to pick it up.

But someone else beat him to it.

A shadow of a hand smothered it looking into Tsuna's shocked brown eyes with mismatched ones.

"Buona Sera, Vongola."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Tsuna?" Yamamoto called out, his voice a little hoarse from heavy breathing and conversing with Gokudera over the battlefield. Their wireless communication went haywire in the middle of his relay of the situation probably due to enemy interference. He didn't need to hear Gokudera to know what he was trying to say in reply anyways. If the dozens of dynamite hurled in his general direction didn't speak for it, he didn't know what would.

There was no reply. An empty room laid before him.

Where was he?

He checked the bathroom but there was no one inside. He had made sure to keep a close eye on the tower during his absence in case an enemy were to reach Tsuna before him and he was damn sure no one went up the tower in that time.

Come to think of it…whatever happened to that guy who had tried to stop him at the base of the tower? He was nowhere in sight when he landed.

It was possible that Tsuna went down by himself.

Yamamoto frowned.

But Tsuna gave his word that he was there. And even though he barely knew the boy he was confident that Tsuna didn't lie.

Maybe something happened forcing him out of the tower.

If that was so, Tsuna might be in danger at this very moment.

Should he go and try to find him?

And if he was wrong…

His inner turmoil was put to a stop as incoherent static buzzed through the useless headset he was still wearing. Looking to his digital watch, he found that he was running out of time. There was no way Hibari will be fooled for any longer by their meager distractions. None of them would be able to keep this up for any longer for even he was feeling fatigue seep into his aching muscles.

He'll have to make a gamble.

As a precaution Yamamoto looked under the bed and threw the closet open.

No one.

Letting out a conflicted breath, he turned and jumped out the window before he had second thoughts.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tsuna never left.

Confined by his captor he could only watched in muted desperation as Yamamoto reappeared in the room and called for him.

He gave up struggling for the moment as he would only expend his energy wastefully.

Let me go. Let me go!

_Not a chance, Vongola._

Tsuna's eyes went wide.

How did he know what I was thinking?

_It's not that difficult a feat actually._

Why are you doing this?

An unimpressed snort.

_Do you think I'll just lay out my plans for you to see when there still exists a possibility for you to escape? I'm not daft, Vongola. Such tricks only fool the third-rate._

There's nothing you can get from me, really!

Odd laughter.

_I'll be the one to decide that. Oh, look. Your friend is back._

Yamamoto returned from rummaging through the bathroom. Despite Tsuna's renewed efforts to get free or at least produce some noise to garner his attention, Yamamoto looked too enraptured in his thoughts to have heard.

Tsuna could swear he was going to cry when he saw Yamamoto turn away.

His heart leaped out of his chest when the closet door was thrown open.

I'm right here, Yamamoto! I'm right here!

_Kufufu, it's futile. He can't see you nor hear you. Now be a dear and spare my mind of your incessant wailing._

In response, the brunet flailed harder. He had to make him notice. He had to.

Look over here! Please!

Yamamoto turned his back to him.

No, _no_!

He was walking away.

Come back! Please! I'm here!

He was gone.

Tsuna didn't even notice that he could breathe properly again as he collapsed to the ground, free from restraint.

"Now, now, I've already warned you that it wouldn't work."

Tsuna yelped as the black shadow resembling a hand grasped him by the wrist and tried to shake it off. The thick darkness enveloped his whole hand.

"How rude. I'm only returning this to you."

The tangible shadow receded to reveal the Hibari's silver ring returned to its proper place on his pinky. A face came close and touched its lips against it.

Drawing back, Tsuna saw his attacker for the first time.

He looked like a normal teenager, more towards the delinquent variety with the ear piercing and strange hairstyle but a teenager all the same. His uniform was dark forest green and curiously familiar.

Except he was half-fading into wispy darkness.

"W-what are you?"

Mukuro smiled with false kindness and leaned forward, decreasing the distance between them. Tsuna instinctively leaned back.

"Perhaps I'll explain that another time, my followers need a little help right now and I think it's about time you're put to use."

In a matter of seconds the teen dissolved into black miasma and washed over the smaller boy. Tsuna gasped and attempted to fight against the unknown substance that engulfed him entirely.

"Don't struggle, this won't hurt."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: I'M SO SORRY. Adkfjlsjfs. I'm also sorry that this chapter is so poorly written. I really can't write climaxes…ugh. Lately I've encountered the trouble that is an all-academic semester. I have to study for hours to get decent marks even to the point of locking myself in my room from 4 pm to 11 pm to do so. As well I've been hit by another KHR fanfic idea which I'll start writing after this fic (although I have to work out the ending still). I imagine that it'll be easier to write the next chapters after this one which is horribly choppy and filler to me. Once again I apologize. I'll try to write another chapter as soon as my schedule permits me to.

_Meru's Beta Note_: Slkhglhslaga. I've been waiting to beta this about as long as the readers have been waiting to read this. ____ It was a good chapter~ 8D All the better that I get to beta it the day after my birthday. Yay. :_heart_:

**Thank you for reading! Please send your multitudes of complaints to the authoress if you feel you need to vent. She'll accept them graciously and deservingly. Hope to write to you soon.**


	15. Explaining

Title: Descend Into Darkness

Authoress: Ankaris123

Start Date: April 4, 2009

End Date: May 24, 2009

**WARNINGS**: Possible OOCness. Pineapple Alert. Wordy. Dark Themes.

_A/Ns_: I apologize for the long wait. It's exam season so the next chapter will take a while too and there's no guarantee I'll be productive during the summer months much. The chapter is a bit shorter than usual but it has a lot of information in it so I hope that will compensate. Your patience is appreciated.

Notes: Ken refers to Tsuna as usagi-chan which as most of you will recognize means bunny or rabbit. In the manga he refers to Tsuna as his rabbit prey and I chose to have Ken address him as such in this fic. It's in its untranslated form because 'bunny' or 'rabbit' felt a little unnatural.

**(Please skip over this section until the next bolded/underlined segment appears if you do not wish to read the answers to the reviews.)**

_Reviews_:

_Lala-tan_: Lol, you and your puns. :_heart_: Indeed, he does, m'dear.

_spiel_: Rest assured, even I admit that it's been a long time. This one has taken a while too so I hope you were able to retain some of the plot of the rest of fic. Many apologies.

_takyume_: Your very first fic? Why, I'm honoured. And here's the next chapter.

_Lady Tatum_: Now, now, don't put yourself down, I'm sure yours is just as good if not more so!

_Akuno Hikari_: Oh, you. XD. I guess I just have the magic timing for these sorts of things. And, you're so smart, this chapter has pretty much everything you listed. I like my fanfic!Mukuro disdainful towards Tsuna as he is in the manga while I like my art!doujin!4-coma!Mukuro to be a bucket of crack. Anyways, you don't want to hear me rant, enjoy.

_firedraygon_: Hahaha, well, Yamamoto's problems are taking the backseat now that Mukuro's on the scene but we'll have to wait a little longer for Hibari-san's reappearance.

_SoulReaper Rukia_: But then there wouldn't be much of a plot now would there? None of that delicious character development or conflict. :_laughs_: Don't mind me, I'm an English nerd.

Many thanks and love also to HappyDuckyDay, primaaryet, GoddesofWrath, Synneofthesun, baka_viewer, Bookworm1994, Seraph of Tales, Raine Haruto, wind-master-redmoon, Tuna Kat, and muumuu122.

**(Scroll down for the story! Enjoy!)**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 14 – Explaining

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Images flashed by before Tsuna's eyes in between the lapses of complete darkness.

_A fully equipped laboratory; the pungent smell of sterility and copper; men in red-stained lab coats spoke in hush tones to each other. One man looked in his direction--_

_A room of children, clad in worn, bleached hospital gowns and sitting on the floor--_

_Trees shot past him on both sides; chilled air biting into his skin; the edge of the forest was a speckle of brilliant light--_

Two teens in school uniforms, loitering in a decrepit building--

_A crying girl in the middle of a hazy meadow--_

He left out a breath, feeling flooding back into his body. The air was stagnant and tasted of metal. He blinked, adjusting to the flickering orange light of the burning torches.

He was in the dungeons again, and, if he recalled correctly, this was the very cell he was held in not too long ago.

There was someone locked inside.

A small figure with similar stature to his came towards the bars and out of the shadows hesitantly. It was a girl; trembling hope glimmered in her round, violet eye, the other eye was hidden behind a black eye patch.

"Mukuro-sama?" she whispered inquisitively, holding his gaze. Two figures stirred in the darkness behind her at the sound of this name.

Tsuna was about to answer when another voice silenced him, controlling his mouth.

"Yes, it is I. The mission is a success but we must not linger any longer. Our opponents are beginning to realize that there are more than two sides involved in tonight's conflict."

Just as he was unable to stop himself from mouthing the words that seemingly came from himself, he watched as his body responded to the commands of someone, something else's command, walking over to where a rung of keys hung. He watched his hand reach up and lift it off the hook; he could feel the rough and unrefined surface of the metal in his hands.

His body continued to move, in position to insert one of the keys into the cell's lock.

There was a resounding bang of a heavy door being thrown open and furious voices echoing down the spiral stairwell.

"Let me go, you b--"

"Be quiet! You're not going--" Kusakabe ordered, dragging a handcuffed Gokudera along by the elbow. He froze when he caught sight of Tsuna and the other prisoners.

"Sawada-kun? What are you--?" Gokudera gave a fierce tug and broke away, colliding with a damp wall at the side. The wild look in his eyes eased when he turned to Tsuna.

"Tenth? Y-you're okay!" The joy in his voice did not completely mask his obvious fatigue.

Tsuna racked his memory for this teen. He seemed vaguely familiar.

_An acquaintance? Nevertheless, it matters not. I suppose I can give him a decent farewell in your stead._

You! What are you-how-?

_Again with the questions and this time far less coherent. I can't say I'm impressed._

Get out of my head! Get out of my body!

_Kufufu, as I've said before, there's no point in struggling. I'll release you when I've exhausted your usefulness, which I don't expect to be anytime soon._

Leave me alone!

_  
_His hand tossed the keys to the girl in the cell who immediately began testing each one on the lock.

"Sawada, what is the meaning of this? You--"

"Silence," the word issued from Tsuna's lips in his own voice. The tone was noticeably not his.

Having recovered to a moderate extent, Gokudera staggered a few steps towards him.

"Tenth, we should leave at once. There isn't much time left-"

"I'm not going anywhere."

Gokudera stared blankly at him, not understanding.

"But, you must understand, Tenth. We _must_ leave now. We can't hold out for much longer than this--" Gokudera choked as a cold hand pinned him to the wall by the throat, robbing him as his breath. Tsuna could feel the racing pulse against his palm.

Tsuna's brown eyes narrowed and darkened as his grip tightened. Kusakabe stood in shock from the proceedings.

"Let me rephrase that. I'm not going anywhere, especially not with someone like you," he spat, tightening his grip painfully for a second before releasing the silver-haired Vampire. Gokudera slid to the floor, massaging his throbbing throat with his bound hands as he gasped for air. The dazed look of utter disbelief and hurt shining in his wide blue eyes stabbed at Tsuna's heart.

Why are you doing this? He didn't do anything to you!

_Oh, nothing directly, but that kind of naïve loyalty and trust he garners for you is truly sickening. The world is better off without fools like him; I was merely attempting to remedy it._

There's nothing wrong with him!

A satirical chuckle.

_Alas, we are out of time. There's only one last obstacle to overcome._

Tsuna turned towards Kusakabe who, upon making eye contact, realized what was happening strode forward with full intentions to subdue him.

Sharing his body with this other being gave Tsuna a glimpse of the true power of the man possessing. He knew very well that Kusakabe would stand no chance.

Stop it! Don't hurt him!

_My patience with you has run dry. Go to sleep._

And once again, Tsuna sank into a sea of black.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Prying his tired eyes open, he lifted himself off the grimy floor and surveyed his dim surroundings.

The room had fallen into ruin. Minute cracks lined the gray walls; the corners of the room housed several spiders resting diligently for prey that would never come. There were signs of several pieces of large furniture or machinery that previously occupied spaced along the wall. A thick of undisturbed dust blanketed everything else with the exception of the area he woke up laying upon.

The only door leading out of the room opened with a squeal of unattended rust and three figures strode in. The light streaming in behind them deepened that shadows that hid their faces. Tsuna winced at the brightness but did not turn away.

"My, my. Awake already? Most people take several hours longer to recover but then again," the centre figure mused; his voice distinctly familiar, "you aren't like most people, are you?"

"Wh--" Tsuna broke out in a fit of coughs, his throat was parched.

Unexpectedly, a plastic bottle was thrust into his hands. He fumbled with it in surprise, dropping it to the floor. The cool liquid poured out, spreading across the tiles and soaking into his clothes.

Someone sighed and then a hand jerked his head back. Water flooded into his mouth, refreshing but too sudden. He choked again but could not break free. It ended in a short moment.

"Pathetic," someone commented as the hand released the handful of hair it was holding. Tsuna tried to voice his question once more, raising one unsteady hand to wipe away the water dripping from his chin.

"Who are you?"

The man chuckled eerily familiar once again. The fog began to lift from Tsuna's thoughts.

"You!" Tsuna exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the man before him. His muscles ached in protest.

"Yes, very good. Though I have to say I am not commonly referred to as 'you'," Mukuro simpered. Despite the thick shadows shrouding his figure, his red eye was fully visible. "You may refer to me as Mukuro."

More snippets of memory flooded back to him, arousing his concern and alarm.

"Kusakabe-san! What did you do to him?! "

"Who knows," Mukuro answered but the leering smirk spoke volumes. Those two words hit Tsuna with a strong sense of nostalgia. It was Reborn's favourite phrase. His anger and concern dissipated to make way for misery and longing. He wished everything could return back to normal.

"Aw, what's wrong? Worried about your kidnapper? How noble of you-byon," said one of the others who were also wearing the same green school uniform. If Tsuna was not mistaken, the other two were the very same teens from that short glimpse of what he assumed was Mukuro's memories.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue, usagi-chan?"

"Now, now, Ken. We mustn't have you devouring our guest. Perhaps after everything's done and over with," Mukuro chided mildly and without force.

Tsuna did not hear their exchange but was instead thinking about the people he had left behind. Yamamoto who seemed so desperate to find him and bring him away from the tower, the silver-haired boy who gave him the heartbreaking look of one betrayed by his most trusted friend, Reborn who was no doubt displeased with him overall, Kusakabe who was shocked to speechlessness by his unusual behaviour and…

And Hibari with whom he broke his promise of being in his chambers waiting for his return.

Guilt and grief sloshed inside him as cold and unforgiving turbulent waves.

These people before him who had taken him away from them, he did not understand their motives but he did know they were not kind, merciful people. Even knowing this did not deter Tsuna from asking:

"Please, won't you let me go?" He hated how his voice was cracked and timid.

The three looked at him and two of them, Ken and Mukuro, burst into contemptuous laughter. The sliver of hope that they'd reconsider after their mirth died down was ripped from him with one look at their faces.

They had no intention of setting him free whether he was helpful to their cause or not. Their mocking stare gave the impression that they saw his request as nothing but a joke. It seemed that after a moment, it donned on Mukuro that Tsuna was not kidding, that the little brunet had _actually_ hoped they would consider setting him free.

Tsuna squirmed under his scrutiny.

"I can assure you now that you are still quite useful to us. I do not believe there is better bait in the world than the heir to the one of the greatest and most noble vampire clans in history."

"Bait?" What was he talking about?

"Of course. For what other reason would we have you here? For what other reason would we risk so much to snatch away some half-fledgling from the clutches of a clan renowned for their ruthlessness?"

"I don't understand."

This time the only man still unknown to him spoke. Able to see him better now, the teen had an ethereal complexion, flawless except for the barcode tattooed on his left cheek. His neatly cropped hair was tucked under a white knitted hat and his dull, expressionless eyes were obscured by thin oval glasses.

"The purpose of your capture is to lure Kyouya Hibari in our area of advantage as well as any vampires associated with you," he said monotonously, pushing his glasses higher up his face.

"But why?" Tsuna questioned. "Why do you want to do that?"

"To kill them, of course!" Ken scoffed as though the reason was obvious to any sane person. "Usagi-chan's a little slow in the head, ain't he?"

"From my observations I'd have to say that you are correct in saying so, Ken," Mukuro said. He turned his eyes towards Tsuna with a predatory grin. "His looks are pleasing enough to make up for that detrimental aspect I suppose. As much as I hate to agree with that bird brain, I can understand why Hibari kept him as a pet. I wouldn't mind tasting him."

At this point, Mukuro had kneed down in front of him, grasping him by the chin and jerking his head around to inspect him rough like livestock. It reminded him of Xanxus's treatment but the intentions behind their actions were different. Tsuna couldn't fathom what they may be and how he had come to such a conclusion instead he addressed the matter that bothered that him.

"Kill them? But aren't vampires supposed to treat members of other clans with neutrality to prevent feuds? You guys are vampires, right? The same as they are--" A hand punctured a hole in the wall behind Tsuna's head in the blink of an eye, causing his next words to die on his lips. All the brunet could see was the gleaming red eye contorted in utmost fury.

"The same?! You dare call us _the same_?" Mukuro spat, slamming Tsuna to the wall with his free hand around the brunet's exposed neck. "We will _never_ be the same as them, no matter what roots we share. There is nothing more insulting! Never compare us with those monsters!"

Behind him, Ken hissed in agreement, crouching like an animal close to the dirty floor; his tough nails dug into the cement. Chikusa remained unchanged but lifted a hand to adjust his spectacles. Mukuro's fingers tightened but did not obstruct his breathing completely, leaving him wheezing in desperation for breath.

The world seemed to pause for a moment; all was silent except for the varying breathing patterns of the four people in the dingy cell of a room. Mukuro released his grip stiffly as he regained his composure, rising to his feet and retreating a few steps for good measure.

Squinting up at the trio, Tsuna could only lay in the grime massaging his burning throat. He dare not speak.

"You," Mukuro began, the last tremors of rage reverberating in his speech, "do not understand a _single thing_. You who up until now have known _nothing_, are _deceived_, walled in by the semi-truths of your so-called kin. I will not tell this to justify our existence or our actions; I will tell you this so you will hear, perhaps even _begin_ to comprehend, the reality of your own clan members."

The man's abnormal-coloured eye narrowed; the details of his face were clearer as Tsuna's eyes adjusted to the contrast of glaring light and deep shadows.

"Where shall I begin?" he murmured to himself, pressing his crooked finger to his chin. "From the beginning, I suppose, assuming you have little to no knowledge of vampire childbirth."

He began to pace, always remaining where the light rendered him visible.

"Perhaps you have once thought that your blooded kin, those who have been turned, were worse off than your blood kin, those who were born _vampires_," he spat out the last word as though it was a curse, "This is a gross misconception. If anything, blood kin are literally abominations.

"Vampires are undead; their cells cannot reproduce and thus their bodies will decay. This leads to the consumption of human blood which acts as fuel that stimulates the cells and hence results in growth and regeneration of the body at minimal levels and at rates significantly slower than that of humans. But even with this _aid_, they do not retain the ability to mate.

"Of course, you must be thinking that I'm lying for you have encountered several of your kin who claim vampire birth right. They did not lie. Vampire childbirth, as I've mentioned before, is a despicable procedure, an opinion with which you will agree once I explain it in full. Human blood stimulates cell regeneration, it stimulates growth. In large enough quantities, a vampire can become human once more. This is merely a temporary side effect and cannot be prolonged. Moreover, most vampires cannot even digest the desired amount to reach such a state.

"Moving on, from that information we can infer that both members, or in more commonly the one member who is a vampire, have to ingest a certain quantity of human blood during consummation in order to activate their reproductive functions. If it is successful, the female will naturally be in a compromising position. She will be weakened as her body instinctively prioritizes the growth of the child before her own health. Pregnancy lasts roughly four months due to the fact that there is an imbalance in nutrition distribution and a tendency for vampire cells to leech energy quickly; an established side effect of their supernatural healing. The act of giving birth often leads to the death of the mother in her frail state."

Mukuro paused here, both in speech and in step. Tensing, Tsuna met the mismatched eyes hesitantly. Mukuro's words stirred up a maelstrom of half-thoughts, pieces of memories, and sharp pangs of emotion. Already, Tsuna felt hollow; his intuition screamed that the next moment will be critical.

"During this delicate pregnancy, blood consumption intervals shorten to once every week and a half, I see you're catching on," Mukuro commented dryly as Tsuna's chocolate brown eyes widened in realization. "That's right. In a short four months, there will be approximately twelve feedings, and let's not forget the detail that not all blood types mix. Seeing as such unnatural childbirth is rigorously regulated and scrutinized, fresh blood of a single type is acquired. And, of course, yes, yes, the success rate. So terribly low, a pity, isn't it?

"I can't imagine how many five person families have perished in the name of pure blood selfishness. Of course, small children are an inadequate meal and don't survive the first feeding, so maybe it's six person families? Seven, even. Surprised, Vongola?" Mukuro chided gently without humour. "This is the untold story behind every one of your blood kin. They have already killed so many even before they could breathe, walk, or open their eyes."

Tsuna could not hold his gaze. He ducked his head concentrating on a particular imprint in the grime as his limbs quivered and his blood ran cold.

His blood.

He shivered.

In his blood existed some of that vampire DNA.

He clenched his eyes shut and breathed deep shuddering breaths.

But Mukuro was not finished.

"Now for the point of this lovely little tale, which I assure you will be equally entertaining as the last," he said with a repressed hysterical chuckle. Ken and Chikusa reacted behind him, looking apprehensive yet demure. They however did not protest nor make a sound. They looked even paler than before if that was possible.

"Vampires, a so-called fallen creature of humanity, became history's greatest hypocrites even more so than normal. Creatures of the Dark hate the mortals on which they prey in order to survive, preaching their abhorrence of mankind to the entirety of the supernatural realm. Yet, against their own beliefs, they take interest one of the most distinctively human subjects in the world: Science. Such a dreadful thing, curiosity is, dreadful, dreadful," Mukuro muttered under his breath while shaking his head. "Of course, they wish to keep their blood clean of humans if they could, so why not find a substitute source of energy? Why not kidnap renegade supernatural creatures that are protected under the non-violence pact? Why not obtain the scientific instruments made of the greatly distained plastic and strange alloys, that produce mechanical sounds that irritates and pains them? Why not try and see if they can harness the energy in these creatures' blood? Why not experiment on their _own kin_ and see if they can produce offspring with these alternate energy sources?"

Tsuna looked up at this point, unable to believe what he was hearing. Surely it wasn't true.

Mukuro continued on, his tone growing steadily unstable with conflicting emotions.

"What would happen if a child was raised from the wide varieties of fey blood? The mutated blood of werewolves? The insidious blood of demons? After all, it would be easy to obtain. No one would notice if people unknown to the general public disappeared. Oh, the first couple experiments didn't go as planned, lots of creatures died, some were slaughtered in their resistance, but it worked out in the end, didn't it? Those _scientists_ must've been ecstatic that they managed to procure results as they lay dying on their laboratory floor."

"That's--" Tsuna had started to say but stopped when he realized he didn't know what he wanted to say, what he could say.

The aching silence was only broken by the rumble of a distant aircraft dropping in attitude. A shard of glass snapped under Mukuro's polished black shoe as he stepped forward. Tsuna lurched forward as Mukuro took a fistful of his rumpled shirt.

"I see from your utter shock that you have not been told this, Vongola. Your precious Arcobaleno neglected to impart upon you his true origins in fear that in exposing himself, you who fears the supernatural would turn away from succession to the clan."

Tsuna clenched his eyes shut again; he didn't want to hear anymore of this. Screaming his wishes in his head, he prayed that this was all a dream. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't.

But the world felt very tangible around him, even more so than usual. He didn't have to see Mukuro to know he was really there. The warm, erratic breath against his face told enough.

"Now tell me, Vongola. Look me in the eye and tell me that we are the same. Tell me which of us are the real monsters."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_A/Ns_: Erk, that was a difficult chapter to write, Mukuro is really wordy here. I guess I wanted him to come off as intelligent and formal sounding, not sure if it worked. I hope that giant block of explanations is understandable and logical. Next chapter will have a lot of dialogue as well as a little bit of action. Hopefully, I'll be able to work on it soon.

_Meru's Beta Note_: -Dies.-

**Thank you so much for reading. Many, many apologies for how late this chapter came out. Reviews, critics, complaints are appreciated. Please feel free to badger the author on her lack of productivity.**


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